The Kingbird Vol. 65 No. 3 – September 2015 · THE KINGBIRD (ISSN 0023-1606), published quarterly...

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NEW YORK STATE ORNITHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.

2014-2015 Officers

President

Kathryn Schneider, 16 Frisbee Lane,

Stuyvesant, NY 12173

Vice-President

Carena Pooth, 22 Brothers Rd.,

Poughquag, NY 12570

Recording Secretary

Celeste Morien, 12534 Hemlock

Ridge Rd., Medina, NY 14103

Treasurer

Andrew Mason, 1039 Peck St.,

Jefferson, NY 12093

Directors (Term Expiration Dates)

Seth Ausubel 2015

Timothy Baird 2015

Jeffrey Bolsinger 2015

Mary Beth Warburton 2015

Michael DeSha 2016

Kevin Griffith 2016

Greg Lawrence 2016

William Ostrander 2016

Derek Rogers 2016

continued on inside back cover

The Kingbird 2015 September; 65 (3) 169

Volume 65 No. 3 September 2015 pp. 169-272

CONTENTS The case for adding Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) to the

Checklist of the Birds of New York State Kathryn J. Schneider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 Nesting Merlins (Falco columbarius) in and near Ithaca, New York, 2015 John L. Confer, Mark Witmer, Madeline Ulinski,

Ann Herzig, and Sam Ayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Successful relocation of an Osprey nest after egg-laying

Blanche E. Town and Clede R. Spooner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 A Little Egret at Bay Shore, Suffolk County, Long Island: New York’s First Peter Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Highlights of the Season, Spring 2015 S. S. Mitra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Regional Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Photo Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Standard Regional Report Abbreviations, Reporting Deadlines and Map of Reporting Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

Editor – S. S. Mitra Regional Reports Editor – Robert G. Spahn Production Manager – Patricia J. Lindsay

Circulation and Membership Managers – Patricia Aitken, Berna Lincoln Front Cover – Eastern Kingbird, © Andrew Vallely. Back Cover – Eastern Kingbird, © Douglas Howland.

170 The Kingbird 2015 September; 65 (3)

THE CASE FOR ADDING CAROLINA PARAKEET (Conuropsis carolinensis) TO THE CHECKLIST OF

THE BIRDS OF NEW YORK STATE

Kathryn J. Schneider 16 Frisbee Lane, Stuyvesant, NY 12173

[email protected] When the Federation of New York State Bird Clubs (now the New York State Ornithological Association, NYSOA) established the New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) in 1977, it recognized the need to document and evaluate sight reports of birds in the state, especially for legal and ethical restrictions on collecting. This body functioned for 12 years before it published the first Checklist of the Birds of New York State in 1989 (Levine 1998). Today nearly every state in the United States has an official state bird checklist that is typically administered by a state avian records committee. State checklists are important references for listers but they also serve to educate the public about the status, breeding, and legal protection of individual species.

In 1977 when NYSARC began reviewing records, it made sense to use John Bull’s Birds of New York State (1974) and its 1976 supplement as a starting point (Levine 1998). At that time Bull’s book was widely accepted as the official state list by most of the New York birding community. It is interesting to note that Eaton (1910, 1914), the only other author to attempt a state book, listed 411 species for the state, while Bull applied different standards and acknowledged only 366 of these, adding an additional 44 species of his own. He also created a “hypothetical” category for some species, including Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis). Since 1974 thirteen of these hypothetical species have been added to the state checklist (NYSOA 2016). Able (1976) considered Bull’s treatment of species uneven. Whereas Bull allowed for variation in the quality of specimen evidence, for instance considering even lost specimens valid if they had been verified by “competent ornithologists,” he was overly critical of sight records, even in aggregate and when supported by circumstantial evidence. Eaton (1910, 1914) and Beardslee and Mitchell (1965) included Carolina Parakeet as occurring in New York. DeKay (1844) called it extra-limital and Eaton considered it only of historic interest because by 1914 it had been extirpated from the state, but Beardslee and Mitchell listed it as an extinct summer resident. Here I argue that Carolina Parakeet once occurred in New York State. I propose that it be added to the Checklist of the Birds of New York State (NYSOA 2016) as an extinct species that was once part of New York’s avifauna.


METHODS To document the Carolina Parakeet’s occurrence in New York I compiled four types of information: its historical global range, museum specimens and site records from New York and neighboring states, and the species’ habitat requirements. Historical Distribution—In an exhaustive review of the literature for Birds of North America, Snyder and Russell (2002) summarized what is known of the historical distribution of this bird in North America and concluded that the Carolina Parakeet occurred regularly in the eastern United States from southern Florida to coastal North Carolina and occasionally to Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. The range included the states along the Gulf of Mexico and states from Florida to Texas north and west to Colorado (Fig.1). This bird apparently never ventured into New England or Mexico, and the only evidence that it was ever in Canada comes from an archeological site in Ontario near Lake Erie where parakeet bones dated to 1100 AD were recovered. These could reflect either their natural distribution or native American trading.

Within this range its distribution was spotty and concentrated on rivers and tributaries. Snyder and Russell (2002) call migration doubtful, but many of the most northern records are from midwinter suggesting that this species wandered widely. Specimens from Northeastern North America—I and others before me have been unable to find any specimens from New York State, which is not surprising since the bird was probably rare in the state and extirpated by the early 1900s (Hahn 1963, Greenway 1967, Bull 1974, VertNet 2016). Of the more than 800 specimens in existence, roughly 660 were taken in Florida in the second half of the 19th century (McKinley 1985). There is one specimen from Ohio and a partial skeleton from Pennsylvania (Hahn 1963, VertNet 2016) but apparently none from other states that border New York. Sight Records from New York and Neighboring States—The first sight record from New York was reported in 1780 by Barton (1799) who wrote:

“I may add, that a very large flight of parakeets, which came from the westward, was seen, a few years ago, about twenty-five miles to the north-west of Albany, in the State of New-York. The arrival of these birds in the depth of winter was, indeed, a very remarkable circumstance. The more ignorant Dutch settlers were exceedingly alarmed. They imagined, in dreadful consternation, that it portended nothing less calamitous than the destruction of the world.”


For some reason DeKay (1844) published this New York record as occurring in 1785, but McKinley (1959) found a second report of this same event in the translated diary of Franciso de Miranda (1928), a famous South American revolutionist who visited Saratoga Springs when he toured the United States from 1783-1784. The translated text reports a “band” of parakeets in the winter of 1779-1780, an event never seen on this continent, and notes that the house near where they appeared was the first that the enemy burned soon after. McKinley suggests that the burning was done by British troops that invaded from Canada in October 1780. McKinley’s paper corrected DeKay’s error and places the Albany sighting in January 1780.

Audubon (1831) wrote that Carolina Parakeets were declining in number and had been more common 25 years ago, noting that during that time they could be procured sometimes as far northeast as Lake Ontario. Both Eaton (1910, 1914) and Beardslee and Mitchell (1965) cited this information from Audubon as evidence for including the bird as a part of New York’s avifauna.

Bergtold (1927) published a note regarding a conversation with David F. Day, a practicing attorney and naturalist, who many years earlier saw thirteen Carolina Parakeets on the old City Building at the corner of Franklin and Eagle Streets in Buffalo. Day also reported that a lot of parakeets were being captured at West Seneca, New York.

While the sighting has no date, we can assume it took place before December 20, 1889 when it was reported to Bergtold. This sight record was rejected by Bull (1974) as “hearsay” and he likely would not have seen Day as a competent ornithologist but Bergtold, who was a trained scientist, states that Day was such a good botanist that Asa Gray drew heavily upon his knowledge of the western New York flora in writing his Manual of Botany. He also noted that Day was “keenly interested in birds” and knew the local species well, and that he trusted Day’s records. This information led Beardslee and Mitchell (1965) to write that the Carolina Parakeet was once well-established in the Niagara Frontier but now extinct. They listed its status as “S.R. (summer resident) formerly.”

It is worth noting that there are also credible sight records from the neighboring states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio (Eaton 1936, Turnbull 1869, Wilson 1811, McKinley 1977). A bird so distinctive and brightly colored is unlikely to be misidentified. Habitat Requirements—The Carolina Parakeet was extinct before its ecology and life history could be well studied. The best information on its habitat requirements is found in the early writings of authors who lived when the bird was still extant. Wilson (1811) described their attraction to bottomland forests along the borders of rivers and streams. In the southern part of its range the species was found in cypress swamps, and wherever it occurred the birds gathered in large flocks at salt licks. They ate fruits, buds, seeds, and cockleburs and severely damaged orchards and grain crops.


While the center of this species’ range was certainly south and west of New York State, the birds were physically well adapted to survive winters in the Northeast. A recent study by Kirchman et al. (2012) demonstrated that the Carolina Parakeet is most closely related to South American parrots with broad distributions that include temperate climates. Their feathered ceres and communal roosting habits are generally seen as adaptations for cold tolerance. Nuttall (1832) noted that they were cold hardy enough to appear in St. Louis in winter and Wilson (1811) encountered a flock in Ohio during a snowstorm.

Figure 1. Approximate boundary of the early historical range of the Carolina Parakeet. The rarity of records for states northeast of North Carolina suggests that this portion of the range was occupied only erratically. Records are also rare to absent for most of the Appalachian Mountains. (From Snyder and Russell 2002, Birds of North America Online.)


RESULTS AND DISCUSSION It is unlikely that the Carolina Parakeet was ever common in New York State but the evidence presented here suggests that it was probably present at the periphery of its range in the western part of the state. The birds likely colonized the North American continent from the south moving north via the rivers and streams of the Mississippi drainage, which reaches into western New York. Like other parrots, they probably wandered widely outside the breeding season. This behavior could account for occasional records from places like eastern New York and New Jersey. Before European settlement New York had an abundance of bottomland hardwood forest that would have provided suitable nesting habitat for Carolina Parakeets. Central New York had enough salt to support commercial salt production in the nineteenth century and the birds could have found salt licks at a number of sites (Werner 1917). It seems plausible that the parakeets Day reported being captured in West Seneca were attracted to salt deposits (Judkins 2001). Anatomically and physiologically, the birds were well adapted to the New York climate.

It is not surprising that there are no New York specimens for this species. The bird was already quite rare in New York during the heyday of collecting in the mid nineteenth century and the last sight record in western New York was before 1889 (Bergtold 1927). The bird was an agricultural pest at a time when almost any edible species was used for food. Moreover, its feathers were bright and colorful and an important part of the feather trade, so it was unlikely that any of the few specimens from New York would ever find their way to a museum. Of the approximately 800 specimens in existence fewer than 50 can be tied to states other than Florida and there is only one from Ohio where the bird was supposedly plentiful (Hahn 1963). The absence of a New York specimen should not exclude this species from the New York State checklist.

While the sight records reported here seem casual by today’s standards, they are typical for their time. DeKay, Eaton, and Beardslee and Mitchell, all trained ornithologists and curators writing books for important scientific institutions, found them credible enough to publish. Nearby New Jersey, and eleven other states with no specimen records, including Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin, all list Carolina Parakeet on their state bird lists as either a historical or extinct species (Larson et al. 2015, Maryland/District of Columbia Records Committee 2015, Virginia Avian Records Committee 2015, Argabrite 2015, North Carolina Bird Records Committee 2014, South Carolina Bird Records Committee 2014, Beaton et al. 2003, Tennessee Ornithological Society 2014, Alabama Ornithological Society 2013, Indiana Audubon Society n.d., Iowa Ornithologists’ Union n.d., Wisconsin Society for Ornithology 2015). In nearly every case the documentation consists of similarly old, informal sight records that are considered acceptable by historical standards.


NYSOA updates its Checklist of the Birds of New York State annually to incorporate new species accepted by NYSARC and taxonomic revisions made by the American Ornithologists’ Union. This checklist is copyrighted and recognized as the official bird list for New York State, and, because of this, it is important for it to be accurate for all species, even ones that are no longer with us. Based on the information presented here I believe the NYSARC should correct the historical record on New York’s avifauna and add Carolina Parakeet to the next Checklist of the Birds of New York State as an extinct species, along with Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchnus labradorius) and Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), which are already listed. I have submitted this information to NYSARC and I look forward to its decision.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank Jeremy Kirchman, Ken Able, and Alison Van Keuren for helpful comments and suggestions that improved this manuscript.

LITERATURE CITED Able, K.P. 1976. Reviewed work, Birds of New York State by J. Bull. Bird-

Banding 47(1): 89-91. Alabama Ornithological Society. 2013. Field checklist of Alabama birds.

www.aosbirds.org/documents/AOSChecklist2013.pdf. Accessed 2016 January 5.

Argabrite, W. 2015. Official West Virginia State bird list April 18, 2015. www.brooksbirdclub.org/WVLIST15.pdf. Accessed 2016 January 5.

Audubon, J. J. 1831. Ornithological Biography Vol.4 Philadelphia: J.B. Chevalier.

Barton, B.S. 1799. Fragments of the natural history of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: the Author.

Beardslee, C.S. and H.D. Mitchell. 1965. Birds of the Niagara Frontier Region. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Vol. 22.

Beaton, G., P. Sykes and J. Parish. 2003. Annotated checklist of Georgia birds. Occasional publication No. 14. Georgia Ornithological Society.

Bergtold, W.H. 1927. The Carolina Paroquet in western New York. Auk 44: 252.

Bull, J. 1974. Birds of New York State. Garden City: Doubleday/Natural History Press. Reprint 1985 Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

DeKay, J.E. 1844. Zoology of New York; or, the New York Fauna. Part 2: Birds. New York: D. Appleton, and Wiley and Putnam.

Eaton, E. H. 1910. Birds of New York State, part 1. Albany: State University of New York.


NESTING MERLINS (Falco columbarius) IN AND NEAR ITHACA, NEW YORK, 2015.

John L. Confer (corresponding author)

Biology Department, Ithaca College [email protected]

Mark Witmer, Madeline Ulinski, Ann Herzig, and Sam Ayers

The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is a recent addition to the breeding birds of New York. Bull (1974) rejected all earlier nesting reports because the descriptions were not fully convincing nor were they supported by photographs or specimens of eggs or the birds themselves. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of New York State (Andrle and Carroll 1988) did not report any nesting Merlins, despite 200,000 hours of field work. Merlin adults and fledglings call loudly throughout the nesting period, frequently use conspicuous perches, and tolerate human activity, as repeatedly observed in this study and as described by Warkentin et al. (2005) in the excellent monograph for Birds of North America (hereafter BNA). Merlin could not have nested routinely in New York before 1988 without someone obtaining strong documentation.

Spahn (1998) summarized over ten instances of Merlin nests or fledged young for New York by 1996 including the first fully credible report in 1992 (Montgomery 1992). These early nests were in or near the forests of the Adirondack Mountains. The Second Atlas of the Breeding Birds of New York State documented an explosive expansion of Merlin (McGowan 2008) with 47 confirmed nestings plus 84 possible or probable nestings. Most reports were from areas in the Adirondack Mountains with a few south of the mountains.

The southward expansion now includes Ithaca, NY with one or two Merlin nests almost every year since 2006, as known by the authors. Last year, 2014, one Merlin nest in the Ithaca area failed while another Merlin pair was observed feeding fledglings (JLC). A more intensive survey during 2015 found seven Merlin nests in and near Ithaca, NY. This account characterizes these nest sites and nearby landscape, the nesting chronology, the nest success rate, the prey species brought to the nest, and considers reasons for this Merlin expansion.

RESULTS Five nests were located by use of comments on the <Cayugabirds-L> listserv. Two nests were found by detection of calls and observation of birds in flight (JLC) (Table 1). Five of these nests were within Ithaca, i.e., the City of Ithaca plus the Town of Ithaca. Another nest was in nearby Dryden, providing six nests we studied in detail. A seventh nest on Wells College campus in Aurora, NY

Th

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ird 2

01

5 S

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5 (3

) 1

77

Name Location Lat/Long Jurisdiction Distance to Two Nearest Nests

(km)

Species of

Nest Tree

Tree Height (m) /

Nest Height (m)

Titus 400-block N. Titus St.

42°44'41.85"N 76°41'57.35"W

City of Ithaca 1.22, 3.06 White Pine

24.6 / 23.4

Cascadilla Cascadilla Ave. between Cayuga

and Tioga Sts.

42°26'39.27"N 76°29'51.71"W

City of Ithaca 1.22, 2.50 White Pine

24.2 / 22.9

Cemetery East Hill

Cemetery Mitchell St.

42°26'16.79"N

76°28'6.32"W City of Ithaca 2.50, 3.06

White

Pine

20.1 /

18.2

Christopher Christopher Lane x Christopher Cir.

42°28'17.75"N 76°28'0.93"W

Town of Ithaca

1.06, 3.72 White Pine

23.9 / 21.0

Briarwood Briarwood Lane x Birchwood Lane

42°28'7.63"N 76°27'16.63"W

Town of Ithaca

1.06, 3.62 White Pine

21.4 / 19.0

Dryden Dryden

Elementary School

42°29'19.74"N

76°17'38.53"W

Village of

Dryden 13.4, 14.4

White

Pine

30.3 /

25.6

Wells

College

Wells College,

Aurora, NY

42°44'42.33"N

76°41'56.11"W

Village of

Aurora

35.8, 36.6

Austrian

Pine

--- /

17.3

Table 1. Attributes of Merlin nests observed in and near Ithaca, NY in 2015.

17

8

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5 (3

)

Prey Species Titus* Cas. Chris. Ceme. Briar. Dryd. Sum

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 1 1

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 1 1 2

N. Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx

serripennis) 1 1

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 1 1

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 2 2

N. Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1 1

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1 1 2

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 4 3 1 3 4 4 19

Sum of well-observed prey 29

Smaller than House Sparrow 1 1

Larger than House Sparrow 1 1

House Sparrow size 1 1 1 3

Table 2. Prey count by recognizable species as determined by observations of prey carried by adults and from feathers near plucking posts. Some poorly seen prey could not be identified put could be assigned to size categories. Most prey deliveries were so obscured that neither species nor even size could be estimated.

*Nest Site Codes: Cas.= Cascadilla, Chris. = Christopher, Ceme. = Cemetery, Briar. = Briarwood, Dryd. = Dryden.


was studied for a separate project. We spent 123 hours of observations at the six nest sites, counting an hour spent by two observers together as two hours. Images relating to this study are on CANON iMAGE GATEWAY, and access can be provided by emailing the corresponding author at [email protected]. Attributes of Nest and Landscape—The Merlin is a circumpolar species that uses a variety of habitats and nest substrates, including ground nests in the tundra (BNA). Merlins do not make their own nests (BNA). We know that at least two nests in our study were built by American Crows (pers. comm. Clark and McGowan). Another nest was built this year (2015) by Fish Crow but taken over by Merlins shortly after construction, although the events around the transfer of “ownership” were not observed. Kevin McGowan has monitored 75-100 crow nests each year for decades in the Ithaca area and estimates there are 300 active crow nests in Ithaca yearly. Crow nests are well built and could be used one or two years later, which provides a choice from perhaps 500 nests suitable for Merlins (McGowan pers. comm.). Given this abundance, we suspect that all seven nests used by the Merlins were built by crows. All seven Merlin pairs selected a nest in pine trees, either White Pine (6) or Austrian Pine (1), although last year one Merlin nested in a Norway Spruce. Nests were either in isolated trees (3), or in one of a pair of isolated trees (1), or in a row of trees (3), but never in a forest. The Ithaca area includes many forests that are frequented by birders. The authors did not hear of any Merlins sighted in forested areas. For the five Ithaca nests, the mean tree and nest heights were 22.8 m and 20.9 m, respectively. For American Crow in Ithaca, the mean tree height and nest height were 21.2 m and 18.7 m, respectively, (McGowan 2001). On average our Merlin trees and nests averaged about 1.9 m higher than the sample for crows. Perhaps Merlins select for higher nests or perhaps the available trees have grown between 2001 and 2015. In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Merlin nests averaged 1.1 m higher than the mean of a sample of crow nests (Warkentin and James 1988).

All nest trees were in or near large areas with little or no underbrush. (See Canon website.) Human disturbances such as children leaving a school, people walking, jogging, or using skateboards, or moving cars were common in the immediate vicinity of several nests and were largely ignored. Males frequently sat on a tall perch and appeared to watch for potential nest predators, and were observed taking off to chase squirrels, crows, Common Grackles, Blue Jays, a Red-tailed Hawk and a Barred Owl. On one occasion, the loading of a moving van seemed to induce repetitive, single-note calling by the male from his guard perch. It appeared to the authors that the Merlins noted our prolonged presence, and that wherever we stood, they utilized plucking posts somewhere else.

Chronology of Nesting—For a typical individual nest, egg-laying, incubation, and the nestling stage require ~70 days (BNA). Among all Ithaca nests, the earliest report of courtship and copulation was on 3 April at the Titus nest. This


nest fledged on 27 June, a span of 86 days (see Figure 1, p. 224). The Briarwood nest fledged on 28 July, a span for all nesting activity in Ithaca of about 117 days. Nest Success Rates—Three of the seven nests were predated, although this was never directly observed. The female’s body was splayed over the side of one nest, which suggests a nocturnal predator, and this was where we saw an adult chase a Barred Owl. Another nest was slightly torn apart. A third nest was empty before the young could have fledged. In general, the Red-tailed Hawk seems the most likely predator, and several Merlin nests were close to nests of this species. The predated Cascadilla nest had three Red-tailed Hawk nests that were 0.7, 1.4, and 1.5 km distant. Raccoon and Great-horned and Barred Owls are also possible predators.

Our nest success rate was 57%. Other, more extensive studies report greater than 90% nest success and did not find predation as a major cause of nest failures (BNA). In our small sample, the average number of chicks fledged was 2.5 per nest. Interestingly, the nest at Briarwood was our latest by more than two weeks, which increases the possibility that it was a first-time nester (BNA), yet it fledged four young. The underside of the female was especially tawny (Fig. 2, p. 224). Among 10 studies described by Warkentin and James (1988) and the BNA account, the average number fledged per nest ranged from 2.6 to 4.0. The Ithaca population may not be self-sustaining, but the small sample from only one year should not be over-interpreted. Prey—Typically, the male called as he brought food to the nest area. If the female was incubating, she would leave the nest after a few seconds to a minute or so. Prey exchange occurred at any one of several perches and sometimes in mid-air up to ~150 m from the nest, but never at the nest. Sometimes we could get a spotting scope on the prey as the female plucked it, but their use of several plucking posts made this difficult. Several prey species were identified by feathers below plucking posts, for example, the yellow-tipped feathers of Cedar Waxwing, and the tail feathers of House Sparrow. The female often plucked most of the feathers and ate part of the prey before taking it to the nest (Fig. 3). We identified 29 prey items of eight species (Table 2). House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) with 19 items was by far the most common prey, as reported for other studies of urban Merlins (BNA). The tally of three swallows attests to the maneuverability of the Merlin.

DISCUSSION

Nesting by Merlins in New York was first observed just to the south of Ontario, Canada. The Merlin population in Ontario has been increasing at ~3.5%/yr. for the last ~50 years according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey (Sauer


et al. 2014, hereafter BBS). Young that dispersed from an increasing Ontario population may well be the source of birds that arrived in northern New York. If the Ontario increase is a return to a pre-DDT level, then it is unclear why Merlins from Ontario couldn’t have moved into the forested Adirondack Mountains in pre-DDT times. Given the arrival in forested New York, it is interesting to consider the subsequent expansion and why it seems to be primarily in urban areas. Food Availability—The predominant prey species, the House Sparrow, declined at 2.5%/yr. for New York for 1966 to 2013 (BBS). This decline in the most common prey species started two decades before the arrival of Merlin and certainly does not explain the recent increase in Merlin.

Figure 3. During incubation, males usually catch and transfer prey to females at some distance from nest. Females usually pluck prey away from nest, as shown here with House Sparrow. Note prey feet and feathers. DDT Rebound—Merlins were either not present or extremely rare before the 1980s so the recent increase is not a rebound of a New York population


following the ban on DDT. It might nevertheless be related to the rebound of broader regional populations, for instance in Ontario. Climate Warming—The expansion southward does not fit with global climate change, which appears to have caused the northward expansion of many other species. Perhaps young from the Adirondack Mountains returned to latitudes similar to but somewhat south of their natal area. Habitat Availability—The park-like landscape used by urban nesters, e.g., East Hill Cemetery, Dryden school grounds, and Wells College campus, does not seem to have changed in availability or condition by our recollection. More broadly, the reforestation of western and central New York State over many decades (Confer and Pascoe 2003) might have played a role in a regional expansion. Predators on Merlins—The population of Red-tailed Hawks in New York has increased significantly at 0.85%/yr. for the last half-century (BBS), while the New York population of Great Horned Owls declined significantly at 3.5%/yr. (BBS). The net impact of Red-tailed Hawk increase and Great Horned Owl decline on the expansion of Merlin in New York is not known. Nest Availability—Several studies report that American Crows first moved into and then nested in an urban environment in the 1950s (see Verbeek and Caffrey 2002). In Saskatchewan the establishment of urban Merlins appears to have depended on the prior movement of crows into urban environments and the availability of crow nests in conifers planted in the prairie towns and cities (Warkentin and James 1988). Similarly for New York, the increase in urban Merlins certainly correlates with the relatively new abundance of urban crows and their nests in conifers. It appears likely that urban nesting by crows provided the necessary pre-condition for the increase in urban Merlins.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Joe Cleary determined the tree and nest heights for us. An informed review by Lynn Oliphant improved this report. We appreciate the information on nest history of American Crows provided by Ann Clark and Kevin McGowan. We discovered nests thanks to information generously provided by Ann Clark, David Nutter, Bob McGuire, Kenneth J. Kemphues, Will Harrod, and Brad Walker.


LITERATURE CITED Andrle, R. F., J. R. Carroll. 1988. (Eds.). The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of

New York State. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, NY. 551pp. Bull, J. 1974. Birds of New York State. Doubleday/Natural History Press,

Garden City, N Y. 655pp. Confer, J. L. and S. M. Pascoe. 2003. The avian community on utility rights-of-

ways and other managed shrublands in northeastern United States. Forest Ecology and Management 85: 193-206.

McGowan, K. J. 2001. Pp. 365-381 in J. M. Marzluff, R. Bowman, and R. Donelly. (Eds.). Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World. Kluwer Academic Press, Norwell, MA. 571pp.

McGowan, K. J. 2008. Pp. 208-209 in McGowan, K. J., and Kimberly Corwin. (Eds.). The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. 688pp.

Montgomery, W. 1992. First record of a Merlin nesting in New York State. Kingbird: 42: 206-209.

Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, J. E. Fallon, K. L. Pardieck, D. J. Ziolkowski, Jr., and W. A. Link. 2014. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966-2013. Version 01.30.2015 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD. Accessed 15 August, 2015.

Spahn, R. H. 1998. Merlin. Pp. 201-203 in Levine, E., B. B. Lincoln, and S. R. Lincoln. (Eds.). Bull’s Birds of New York State. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca. 622pp.

Verbeek, N. A. and C. Caffrey. 2002. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Accessed 15 August, 2015.

Warkentin, I. G. and P.C. James. 1988. Nest-site selection by urban Merlins. Condor 90:734-738.

Warkentin, I. G., N. S. Sodhi, R. H. M. Espie, Alan F. Poole, L. W. Oliphant and P. C. James. 2005. Merlin (Falco columbarius). The Birds of North America Online, No. 044 revised (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; The Birds of North America Online at: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/. Accessed 2 September, 2015.

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SUCCESSFUL RELOCATION OF AN OSPREY NEST AFTER EGG-LAYING

Blanche E. Town (corresponding author)

Bureau of Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,

6739 US HWY 11, Potsdam, NY 13676 USA [email protected]

Clede R. Spooner

National Grid Senior Supervisor-OH Line, 2005 Linden St., Ogdensburg, NY 13669

[email protected] 315-771-3898

Abstract—Osprey numbers in New York State have increased dramatically in recent years. Ospreys are attracted to anthropogenic structures and frequently nest on power poles. With the increase in population has come a corresponding increase in nest fires, Osprey mortality and power outages. Utilities regularly remove nests from high risk locations outside of the breeding season. In the spring of 2013 a nest with eggs was relocated. It was the first time this had been attempted; a chick was hatched and successfully fledged from the nest. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), have historically nested in New York State (NYS) (Eaton 1914). These large fish-eating hawks breed in North America and typically winter in Central and South America (Martell et al. 2001).

There are two main breeding areas in NYS: the southeastern section, primarily Long Island, and the Adirondack-St. Lawrence Valley section. These areas account for the majority of the state’s nest records according to The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State (Nye 2008).

Osprey numbers declined drastically in NYS throughout the mid-1900s, primarily as a result of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) use. Since its ban in 1972, Osprey numbers have increased greatly (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. Osprey productivity in northwestern New York, 1993-2008.


Ospreys nest in trees, but they are also attracted to man-made structures including buildings, towers, buoys and utility poles. The most common land-based structures selected by Ospreys for nest construction are utility poles (Poole et al. 2002). Poles are abundant and Ospreys find them suitable for supporting their large stick nests and providing an excellent vantage.

Between the years of 2001 and 2008, 60% of Osprey nests in northwestern NYS were built on anthropogenic structures (Town 2009). By 2008 only 20% of the nests found in the region were located in trees (Town, unpubl. data). Although 2008 was the final year of decades of annual breeding and productivity surveys (started in 1969) by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) staff, continuing interactions and unofficial monitoring support the observation that both the population and the percentage of nests on artificial structures continues to increase.

With the increase in the number of Osprey nests found on power poles there is a corresponding increase in the number of nest fires and loss of chicks. When sticks or other nesting materials cross power lines, fires or explosions occur resulting in power outages and electrocuted birds.

Osprey are persistent in their nest building efforts and show a great deal of fidelity to their nest sites. They typically return to this region in early April and begin new nest construction or decorate existing nests shortly thereafter.

NYS DEC has entered into agreements with government agencies and utilities that define dates and activities governing nest removal and relocation. As a result of these cooperative agreements numerous nests have been relocated to platforms (stand alone or pole mounted), or structures have been modified to increase the distance between the nest and electrical components. In all cases (100%) birds have been successfully relocated to platforms when they were constructed at the same or higher elevation and the original nest or nesting materials gathered by humans were placed on top of the platform. DEC constructs and provides platforms to utilities as needed. Other than in emergency situations, nests are only moved outside of the breeding season.

In the 2013 breeding season, Ospreys persisted in their attempts to construct a nest on a National Grid (NG) power pole where, due to the wiring configuration, there was a very high risk of a nest fire and electrocution of the birds. This location had experienced a power outage and nest fire in the past, but the birds rebuilt the nest despite NG’s efforts to discourage them. A visit to the site on 3 May revealed that eggs were present in the nest.

On 6 May DEC wildlife staff joined NG crews on site. One Osprey was observed incubating and another flew in to the nest as NG cut power to the pole and two bucket trucks moved into place on either side of it (Fig. 2a). As the buckets moved closer, the adults left the nest. Linemen in the buckets lifted the nest from the pole using “hot sticks”. The nest was lashed securely to the sticks and then lifted off from the top of the pole and set onto a platform. The platform had been previously bolted onto a fiberglass pole extension. The pole extension


Figure 2. (a) Established nest (top); (b) Raising nest (middle); (c) Osprey return (bottom).


and platform were supported by a third truck. This truck then raised the adaptive structure above the power pole (Fig. 2b) and guided by the linemen, eased it onto the top of the pole where it was bolted into place.

From the time the trucks set up on site until the time they departed, approximately 50 min elapsed. The adult Ospreys remained in the area, alternately circling or perching in trees near the nest. Within five minutes of the trucks moving away from the pole, an adult was back on the nest (Fig. 2c). The linemen reported that the eggs were covered with mossy vegetation and only partially visible during the move. It was a cool, windy day, but sunny, with temperatures steady around 12.8 °C.

On 11 June 2013 the nest was visited by wildlife staff, and it was determined that one or more eggs had hatched. An adult was perched at the side of the nest tending the chick(s) and movement was detected in the nest below.

Subsequent visits conducted during the breeding season documented the fledging of a single chick from the relocated nest. This was the first time that an attempt was made to move a nest with eggs and it proved to be successful.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the employees of National Grid for their cooperation in relocating Osprey nests from high risk locations on power poles to safe alternate nesting locations. Thanks also to Scott Crocoll and Angelena Ross at NYS DEC.

LITERATURE CITED Eaton, E.H. 1914. Birds of New York, Part 2. University of the State of New

York, Albany, NY. Martell, M.S., C.J. Henny, P.E. Nye, and M.J. Solensky. 2001. Fall Migration

Routes, Timing, And Wintering Sites Of North American Ospreys As Determined By Satellite Telemetry. Condor. 103:715-724.

Nye, P.E. 2008. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Pages 186-187 in The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State (McGowan K. J. and K. Corwin, eds.) Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.

Poole, A. F., R.O. Bierregaard and M.S. Martell. 2002. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.) Cornell Lab of Ornithology, thaca, NY USA http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/683 (last accessed 6 March 2014).

Town, B.E. 2009. Make Way for Osprey. New York State Conservationist 63(6): 2-5.


A LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) AT BAY SHORE, SUFFOLK COUNTY, LONG ISLAND: NEW YORK’S FIRST

Peter Morris West Babylon, NY

[email protected] On the afternoon of Thursday 20th May, I found myself at Gardiner Park in Bay Shore. This is not a site I visit particularly regularly but I was interested in a departure from the norm, Spring having been rather disappointing for me locally to that point. My wife and I had also had to cancel an out of state trip at the last minute so I had some time to kill. An early morning trip to Southards Pond Park in Babylon had yielded a Wilson's Warbler but little else, so I was eager for something different. After a short walk through the woods at Gardiner, I headed for the marsh, to try and get some sound recordings of singing Saltmarsh Sparrows, a great feature of this park in Spring. Unfortunately, it soon became obvious that the strong wind was keeping them quiet so my attention turned to other activity in the marsh. I quickly noted my first Marsh Wren of the year singing nearby and was pleased to see a small roving flock of Glossy Ibis, busily foraging away to my left. A Great Egret flapped languidly past and dropped down near a second, smaller egret that was hunched low in a creek close to the eastern boundary of the park. I casually raised my binoculars to confirm the expected Snowy Egret. Dark lores… Interesting, at least they appeared to be at that distance, certainly not yellow anyway. I reached for my camera and fired off a few shots and zooming in, was able to confirm my impression of lore colour but the photos didn't help much with any other features, the bird being mostly obscured by vegetation. My decision to unburden myself by leaving my telescope at home was starting to feel like a bad one. Unable to get any closer, I decided to just wait a while, hoping that it would move into a better position (ideally closer) for me to get a good look. After around 15 minutes, the bird flew a short distance along the creek and upon landing, I was certain I briefly saw two long head plumes. All of a sudden, this was looking like a great candidate for Little Egret. Unfortunately, I still had not been able to study the bird in any more detail and was vaguely aware that there had been look-a-like birds in the past which had caused false alarms. The bird then flew again, this time away down to the shoreline and out of sight. It was obvious that I needed to see this bird through a scope so I called some local birders who might be free to help me relocate it. Ken Feustel was first to answer and I managed to convince him that it was interesting enough to interrupt his afternoon and take a look. The bird had not


reappeared by the time Ken arrived on site, but, working our way down to the shoreline, we were eventually able to relocate it some 500 yards east of the park. This presented another challenge; not only was it more distant than before, it was also now on private land. Watching the bird fishing along the shoreline around a corner and again out of sight, Ken agreed that from what we were able to ascertain, it looked good. With the battery power on my phone hovering just above zero, I made a couple of quick calls to try and negotiate access to where the bird was. Taking some time to reposition, and now joined by some of the other local birders I had called earlier, the bird finally gave itself up and we enjoyed excellent views of the first Little Egret for New York State. At this point it was joined by a Snowy Egret, allowing a side by side comparison of several important features, putting the identification beyond doubt. Three photos can be found on pages 220-221 of this issue. Soon after alerting the rest of the New York birding community, the bird took off and flew strongly south across the bay and out of sight. Fortunately, the bird was present again at Gardiner Park the following day and most people that were able to get there, managed to see it. Following the same pattern as the previous day, it flew south across the bay just after 6pm and this would be the last time it was seen.

DESCRIPTION AND IDENTIFICATION Although superficially very similar to Snowy Egret, given adequate views and seen side by side, there were several notable plumage and structural differences between the two. The two most readily distinctive differences were the dark lores and two long plume feathers emerging from the nape. At distance the lores appeared gray but on closer inspection had a strong blue or even purple tinge in good light. This feature, along with a flatter, less steeply sloping forehead, changed the facial expression considerably and also presumably accentuated the impression of the bill being longer than that of Snowy. The two lanceolate head plumes were strikingly long and there was no sign of the shaggy tuft of a Snowy Egret or putative hybrid. Overall, the Little Egret appeared slightly larger and bulkier than the Snowy Egret, with longer neck and legs. The legs were also thicker and entirely black right down to the feet which were a rather dull orange-yellow. Although affected by wind and posture there seemed to be a fairly consistent difference in the shape of the plumed back feathers, those of Little Egret tending to be held flatter against the back rather than curled up as in Snowy.


VAGRANCY AND OCCURRENCE IN THE ABA AREA This bird constitutes the long overdue first New York State record of Little Egret, a species that has been widely predicted to occur for many years (it was prominent in Levine’s (1994) poll of five authorities and rose to be decidedly the foremost candidate in the most recent analysis (Gochfeld 2010)). Since the first ABA record in 1954, Little Egret has developed a fairly well defined vagrancy pattern into northeastern North America, with a series of records, possibly involving returning birds, from Delaware, New England and Canada. It has become annual over the past decade between April and September, but mostly April to June, and mostly from Massachusetts north (Howell et al. 2014). Indeed, 2015 alone boasted perhaps as many as five different individuals (New York, Maine, Ottawa, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland) all of which were found between mid-May and mid-June. Elsewhere in the Americas, Little Egret has been successfully breeding in Barbados since the 1980s and more recently, Antigua. Conversely, there are very few combined records from Iceland and Greenland, suggesting that spring overshoots across the far north Atlantic would have been historically unlikely. Thus, there is strong circumstantial evidence to suggest that “our” Little Egrets originate as southbound fall migrants, cross the tropical Atlantic after over-shooting their wintering grounds in Africa, and arrive in the Caribbean. It is inferred that some of these migrate north with Snowy Egrets and other herons the following spring, arriving in New England and the Canadian Maritimes. This is the method by which Cattle Egrets are thought to have reached the New World and records of other rarer wading birds such as Grey Heron and Western Reef Heron also fit this pattern. As the species continues to breed successfully in the Caribbean, records in the ABA area are expected to increase proportionately. Furthermore, an impressive range expansion into northwestern Europe over the past few decades has dramatically increased the pool from which further potential vagrants are drawn. This is good news, for those New York birders who were not able to see this bird may not have to wait long for a second bite at the cherry.

LITERATURE CITED Gochfeld, D. 2010. Predictions of species to be added to the New York State

Checklist, v. 4.0, The Kingbird 60 (4): 301-310. Howell, S. N. G., I. Lewington, and W. Russell. 2014. Rare Birds of North

America. Princeton University Press. 448 pp. Levine, E. 1994. Predictions of species to be added to the New York State

Checklist. The Kingbird 44 (4): 277-280.


HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON—SPRING 2015

S. S. Mitra Biology Department, College of Staten Island

2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314 [email protected]

The memorably severe winter of 2014-15 persisted long into March, which was about four degrees F below average across the state. Waterfowl mortality was noted again in western, central, and northern NYS, though perhaps not as much as in 2013-14, which was also unusually severe. The cold and ice delayed northbound waterfowl migration, pushing many dates for arrivals and maxima back toward more familiar periods, in contrast to the February flights of many recent years. Even so, early spring was generally good for waterfowl across much of the state. As has become the norm, all the rare and scarce geese were recorded. The rarest were a single Pink-footed Goose and two Barnacle Geese on Long Island. Single Greater White-fronted Geese in R1 and R2 were fewer than in most recent years, but one in R7 was much less expected, and a group of five in R10 rounded out a decent tally for the season. Ross’s Goose was recorded in multiples across the state, in R1, R2, R3, R5, and R9, with as many as 11 in R2. This species’ occurrence is thus coming to resemble that of Cackling Goose, which was recorded only slightly more widely (R7 and R10) and in only modestly greater numbers (21 in R2). Like Greater White-fronted Goose, total numbers of Cackling Goose were somewhat lower than in some recent years, but the overall pattern of regular occurrence, for all of these formerly very rare species, is unmistakable.

A Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in Wilson, Niagara County, was the fourth record for Region 1 of this spectacularly ascendant species. Several other rare or scarce waterfowl species were widely reported, including: Eurasian Green-winged Teal (R2 and two in R10), Eurasian Wigeon (R1, R2, R3, R5, R6, R9, and R10), King Eider (R1, R2, R10), Harlequin Duck (R1, R5, R7, and R10), and Barrow’s Goldeneye (R2, R5, R6, R7, R9, and R10). This last species in particular really seems to have increased in the state in recent years. In R10, for example, Barrow’s Goldeneye was formerly almost unknown along the sandy south shore but now occurs almost regularly in southwestern Long Island. A Common Eider at Piedmont, Rockland County on 6 March was very rare away from the ocean.

A Pacific Loon at Hamlin Beach on 26 April was an excellent find, and an Eared Grebe was present again at Aurora Bay on Cayuga Lake. Like last year, Red-necked Grebes appeared to move south in response to freezing of the Great Lakes. This year’s incursion was most evident in Regions that typically record small numbers at most, and, importantly, the unusual occurrences were in early March—coincident with increasing ice cover on the slow-to-freeze Great Lakes,


but much earlier than normal migration. For instance, one was found on a road-side in R6 on 1 March, several appeared in R9 in early March, and two very impressive counts were made on southwestern Long Island during this period: 16 at Robert Moses SP, Suffolk County, on 1 March, and 12 at Dead Horse Bay, Brooklyn, on 10 March. In contrast, seemingly large April counts of 125 in R1, 154 in R2, and 45 on Onondaga Lake in R5 were consistent with normal migration.

A major highlight of the season was the state’s second Neotropic Cormorant, in R1. Found on 23 April in Fredonia, Chautauqua County, by Jim Pawlicki, it was relocated a few miles away in the Town of Pomfret by Gale VerHague. Glossy Ibis seemed more numerous and widespread than usual this spring, with reports from R1, R2, R3, R5 (13!), and R6 (where quite rare).

A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron in R5 and a Snowy Egret in R6 were both quite wayward, but a Little Egret in Bay Shore, Suffolk County 20-21 May was the long-anticipated first for NYS.

Four Swainson’s Hawks at Braddock Bay were highlights of the hawk watching season.

Five American Avocets at Onondaga Lake 20 April were both early and many, and these were followed the next day by an astounding new state max of 17 passing Hamlin Beach, Monroe County. A new Region 2 max of five Western Willets was also highly unusual, not just for upstate NY, but also for the spring season, when singles and duos are noteworthy even on Long Island. Two Long-billed Dowitchers in Monroe County 6-12 April were another unexpected spring find. In Region 8, which has limited habitat attractive to migrating shorebirds, a count of 60 Short-billed Dowitchers at Stanton Pond, Albany County on 19 May greatly exceeded any prior number. These birds did not tarry long and Will Yandik notes that a prior large count from May 2002 also involved birds actively moving. Perhaps more effort at favorable sites for visible migration in this Region might yield additional data. Another shorebird that did not linger long was a Bar-tailed Godwit of the nominate, European subspecies, that was viewed briefly at Jamaica Bay, Queens County on 16 May. The bird fed on seldom-exposed flats south of the erstwhile West Pond during an exceptionally low tide, then appeared to search the area for a place to roost before flying off to the east. One can’t help but wonder whether it might have remained through another tide cycle or two had an attractive freshwater feature been present nearby.

The two North American Leucophaeus are inveterate wanderers, literally possible anywhere. This spring’s farthest afield Laughing Gull was in R5, and single Franklin’s Gulls visited R2, at Ontario Beach, Monroe County, on 7 May, and Plum Beach, Kings County, from 24-31 May. The “Short-billed” Mew Gull at Gravesend Bay, Kings County continued from winter and was last seen on 22 March. As usual, Thayer’s Gull was restricted to the western half of the state, with records from R2 and R3 this spring.


Both Caspian and Common Terns were noted as arriving early in R3, but a date of 31 March for Caspian Tern in R2 was remarkable, especially given the long, cold winter. Similarly, Black Tern arrived in R2 on 8 April, record-early for New York State.

In the wake of multiple records from nearby states and several tantalizing recent reports from southeastern New York, the Empire State birders finally enjoyed a fully documented Crested Caracara. The individual that Curt McDermott discovered in Montgomery, Orange County, on 10 April remained for several days and was individually identifiable in that it was missing its left eye.

A Black-backed Woodpecker photographed in Cheektowaga, Erie County on 26 May was an exceptional record away from the Adirondacks. The area where the bird was seen featured many infested ash trees, a hint that other such areas, sadly numerous now, deserve special attention. A Say’s Phoebe on 12 April at Conewango Swamp WMA was just the second record for R1. Statewide, records of this species have increased greatly over the past decade or so (it is now basically annual in R10 in September-October), and an unmistakable pattern of April occurrence has emerged across the Northeast over the same period, presumably related to fall vagrants that over-wintered in eastern North America.

White-eyed Vireos were noteworthy in R3 and R6, but a Bell’s Vireo was astonishing in R5, on 12-13 May. Other rare passerines included a Varied Thrush in R2, a Black-throated Gray Warbler in R9, two Western Tanagers and a Painted Bunting in R10, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds in R2, R3, and R5. Several reports of Orchard Orioles in each of R6 and R7 were indicative of this species’ ongoing increase in abundance and distribution across the state. A Boat-tailed Grackle at Croton Point, Westchester County was quite far from established populations.

BIRD OF THE SEASON Spring 2015 was rich in memorable birds. Bell’s Vireo is a phantom species in the Northeast, with very few undoubted records. This season’s bird, as a spring record far away from the coastal vagrant traps, deserves strong consideration for the BOTS award. Also one of very few records for New York, this spring’s Bar-tailed Godwit was the first here since 2004. Given the disproportionate impact of recent experience upon our perceptions, it is literally difficult to believe that, as of that time, there were zero NYSARC-accepted records of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Neotropic Cormorant, Little Egret, or Crested Caracara—all of which were recorded this spring in New York. The whistling-duck is truly an amazing bird and still very rare, but there have been over a dozen records all across New York State in the last decade. Similarly, Pink-footed and Barnacle Geese have asserted their regular occurrence so decisively in the past ten years that many New York birders


hardly consider them rare any more—by now they are certainly much easier for downstate birders to add to a year list than many unambiguously non-rare species, such as Northern Goshawk, Red-necked Phalarope, or Long-eared Owl (among many others). Even Neotropic Cormorant has a recent, well-documented precedent, and Crested Caracara several, less firmly documented antecedents. I vividly remember early January 1999, birding Nantucket Island with Dick Veit, Denny Abbott, and Drew Wheelan, when we received a report of a caracara at Cumberland Farms, in Massachusetts. The four of us represented a range of ages and outlooks on such things, but I think we all were more or less incredulous about the likelihood of that bird being a natural vagrant. Birding is a powerful teacher to the receptive student, and we all see things very differently after the passage of just 16 years. The Montgomery Caracara is an extremely appealing candidate for BOTS, given its spectacular appearance, bizarre, continent-wide upsurge in vagrancy, and this individual’s cooperative behavior, allowing many chasers to see it. But the existence of some recent prior reports allows another bird to edge past it. A first state record, long predicted and awaited, discovered and identified by a birder familiar with the species from its regular range, and seen and documented by many over two days, Pete Morris’s Little Egret was the Bird of The Season. Read an account of this event on pages 188-190 of this issue.

SPRING ARRIVAL DATES FOR 2015

Region Species Reported1

Seasonality2 vs. 1987-15

Advance3 (Days)

Record Early Spp.

1 91 -0.70 -1.99 4 2 93 0.48 -1.63 1 3 91 -0.37 -2.18 0 4 90 -3.76 -0.09 4 5 91 0.71 0.93 1 6 88 -2.99 4.17 5 7 90 -2.34 6.24 2 8 71 -0.79 1.71 1 9 80 -0.04 -1.54 2 10 77 -1.71 -5.62 2

1Maximum number of species = 93. 2Average arrival in a Region compared to that Region’s 29-year average. 3Average arrival in a Region compared to the average of all Regions. Given difficulties in estimating arrivals of some species in some Regions, estimates of Seasonality and Advance should be interpreted with caution.

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Spring Arrival Dates 2015 Waterbirds

Species R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Avg 29-Yr AvgAmerican Bittern 11 Apr 20 Apr 2 Apr 25 Apr 12 Apr 13 Apr 16 Apr 16 Apr 8 Apr 11 Apr 13 Apr 14 AprGreen Heron 10 Apr 25 Apr 14 Apr 11 Apr 15 Apr 29 Apr 1 May 24 Apr 19 Apr 17 Apr 19 Apr 22 AprWood Duck 8 Mar 6 Mar 7 Mar 8 Mar 18 Mar 8 Mar 4 Mar 8 Mar 12 MarGreen-winged Teal 13 Mar 10 Mar 2 Mar 17 Mar 16 Mar 3 Apr 2 Apr 17 Mar 14 MarNorthern Pintail 10 Mar 10 Mar 1 Mar 7 Mar 1 Mar 25 Mar 10 Mar 9 Mar 6 MarBlue-winged Teal 10 Mar 21 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 31 Mar 29 Mar 22 Apr 30 Mar 28 Mar 27 Mar 28 MarOsprey 28 Mar 26 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 2 Apr 26 Apr 7 Mar 8 Mar 27 Mar 27 MarVirginia Rail 12 Apr 14 Apr 12 Apr 17 Apr 16 Apr 18 Apr 2 May 15 Apr 22 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 16 AprSora 18 Apr 25 Apr 24 Apr 18 Apr 24 Apr 26 Apr 18 Apr 6 May 23 Apr 28 AprCommon Moorhen 12 Apr 22 Apr 11 Apr 9 May 14 Apr 13 Apr 30 Apr 30 Apr 22 Apr 15 Apr 20 Apr 26 AprBlack-bellied Plover 8 May 14 May 25 May 24 May 7 May 15 May 14 MaySemipalmated Plover 6 May 7 May 8 May 29 Apr 10 May 10 May 24 May 4 May 29 Apr 7 May 9 MayKilldeer 8 Mar 10 Mar 9 Mar 9 Mar 10 Mar 10 Mar 31 Mar 5 Mar 11 Mar 5 MarGreater Yellowlegs 3 Apr 6 Apr 10 Apr 12 Apr 7 Apr 12 Apr 3 May 6 Apr 8 Mar 7 Apr 6 AprLesser Yellowlegs 5 Apr 17 Apr 16 Apr 19 Apr 6 Apr 17 Apr 5 May 5 Apr 4 Apr 13 Apr 16 AprSolitary Sandpiper 12 Apr 30 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 13 Apr 10 May 2 May 1 May 4 May 5 May 28 Apr 26 AprSpotted Sandpiper 12 Apr 20 Apr 19 Apr 21 Apr 19 Apr 19 Apr 30 Apr 22 Apr 10 Apr 21 Apr 19 Apr 23 AprSanderling 28 May 24 May 28 May 26 May 17 MaySemipalmated Sandpiper 16 May 12 May 15 May 20 May 29 May 10 May 28 May 9 May 4 May 15 May 13 MayLeast Sandpiper 5 May 3 May 2 May 3 May 6 May 3 May 7 May 9 May 4 Apr 17 Apr 29 Apr 3 MayPectoral Sandpiper 5 Apr 11 Apr 27 Apr 25 Apr 2 May 14 Apr 30 Apr 20 Apr 20 AprWilson's Snipe 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 25 Mar 25 Mar 6 Apr 10 Apr 27 Mar 18 Mar 27 Mar 24 MarAmerican Woodcock 9 Mar 17 Mar 16 Mar 25 Mar 18 Mar 31 Mar 1 Apr 9 Mar 13 Mar 8 Mar 17 Mar 11 MarCaspian Tern 11 Apr 31 Mar 6 Apr 21 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 16 Apr 7 Apr 22 Apr 12 Apr 17 AprCommon Tern 4 Apr 12 Apr 11 Apr 21 Apr 12 Apr 15 Apr 14 May 7 May 25 Apr 20 Apr 26 AprBlack Tern 1 May 8 Apr 7 May 6 May 12 May 7 May 31 May 17 May 7 May 8 MayMarsh Wren 14 Apr 9 Apr 2 May 2 May 7 May 6 May 17 Apr 5 Apr 22 Apr 28 Apr

Dates in bold type are record early arrivals for the Region.

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Spring Arrival Dates 2015 Landbirds

Species R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Avg 29-Yr AvgBlack-billed Cuckoo 9 May 8 May 8 May 12 May 5 May 11 May 5 May 20 May 5 May 7 May 9 May 11 MayCommon Nighthawk 16 May 9 May 12 May 9 May 10 May 14 May 24 May 16 May 7 May 9 May 12 May 12 MayChimney Swift 26 Apr 29 Apr 29 Apr 29 Apr 30 Apr 30 Apr 4 May 30 Apr 21 Apr 3 Apr 26 Apr 24 AprRuby-thr Hummingbird 29 Apr 30 Apr 2 May 1 May 3 May 4 May 3 May 2 May 16 Apr 15 Apr 28 Apr 2 MayYellow-bellied Sapsucker 2 Apr 2 Apr 29 Mar 3 Apr 16 Mar 11 Apr 9 Apr 1 Apr 2 AprOlive-sided Flycatcher 8 May 13 May 11 May 15 May 29 May 17 May 12 May 12 May 14 May 18 MayEastern Wood-Pewee 5 May 8 May 8 May 6 May 8 May 9 May 7 May 6 May 21 Apr 5 May 9 MayAlder Flycatcher 17 May 12 May 10 May 9 May 9 May 14 May 16 May 15 May 10 May 14 May 12 May 16 MayWillow Flycatcher 9 May 8 May 8 May 9 May 5 May 12 May 14 May 14 May 12 May 3 May 9 May 14 MayLeast Flycatcher 25 Apr 4 May 27 Apr 27 Apr 2 May 4 May 4 May 3 May 29 Apr 22 Apr 29 Apr 1 MayEastern Phoebe 25 Mar 30 Mar 22 Mar 26 Mar 1 Apr 3 Apr 2 Apr 4 Apr 14 Mar 16 Mar 26 Mar 21 MarGr. Crested Flycatcher 1 May 27 Apr 3 May 4 May 2 May 3 May 7 May 29 Apr 25 Apr 27 Apr 30 Apr 30 AprEastern Kingbird 28 Apr 30 Apr 30 Apr 19 Apr 30 Apr 27 Apr 1 May 19 Apr 21 Apr 19 Apr 25 Apr 27 AprPurple Martin 1 Apr 4 Apr 2 Apr 21 Apr 9 May 3 May 10 Apr 19 Apr 6 Apr 22 Mar 12 Apr 17 AprTree Swallow 9 Mar 20 Mar 14 Mar 18 Mar 25 Mar 2 Apr 2 Apr 5 Mar 11 Mar 10 Mar 17 Mar 19 MarN. Rough-winged Swallow 10 Apr 2 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 11 Apr 13 Apr 16 Apr 6 Apr 3 Apr 31 Mar 7 Apr 13 AprBank Swallow 12 Apr 13 Apr 11 Apr 21 Apr 13 Apr 2 May 6 May 22 Apr 10 Apr 4 Apr 17 Apr 23 AprCliff Swallow 21 Apr 25 Apr 18 Apr 21 Apr 21 Apr 24 Apr 24 Apr 24 Apr 15 Apr 4 Apr 19 Apr 26 AprBarn Swallow 3 Apr 2 Apr 2 Apr 7 Apr 2 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 19 Apr 4 Apr 29 Mar 6 Apr 10 AprHouse Wren 12 Apr 13 Apr 1 May 18 Apr 16 Apr 15 Apr 27 Apr 16 Apr 14 Apr 6 Apr 16 Apr 21 AprRuby-crowned Kinglet 9 Apr 11 Apr 11 Apr 12 Apr 11 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 11 Apr 6 AprBlue-gray Gnatcatcher 12 Apr 13 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 16 Apr 26 Apr 8 Apr 3 Apr 13 Apr 20 AprEastern Bluebird 28 Feb 1 Mar 8 Mar 2 Apr 4 Mar 15 Mar 10 Mar 9 MarVeery 2 May 30 Apr 3 May 25 Apr 5 May 6 May 11 May 2 May 18 Apr 27 Apr 30 Apr 1 MaySwainson's Thrush 4 May 7 May 9 May 7 May 5 May 9 May 23 May 5 May 7 May 5 May 8 May 8 MayHermit Thrush 6 Apr 6 Apr 6 Apr 12 Apr 10 Apr 13 Apr 16 Apr 9 Apr 7 AprWood Thrush 30 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 2 May 1 May 2 May 4 May 29 Apr 29 Apr 21 Apr 29 Apr 29 AprGray Catbird 18 Apr 2 May 28 Apr 1 May 20 Apr 2 May 2 May 30 Apr 27 Apr 24 AprBrown Thrasher 12 Apr 12 Apr 11 Apr 13 Apr 15 Apr 17 Apr 19 Apr 16 Apr 14 Apr 14 AprBlue-headed Vireo 18 Apr 19 Apr 12 Apr 14 Apr 21 Apr 30 Apr 14 Apr 18 Apr 14 Apr 13 Apr 17 Apr 18 AprYellow-throated Vireo 4 May 1 May 2 May 30 Apr 3 May 3 May 10 May 4 May 29 Apr 28 Apr 2 May 3 MayWarbling Vireo 29 Apr 28 Apr 25 Apr 29 Apr 30 Apr 4 May 5 May 26 Apr 25 Apr 22 Apr 28 Apr 29 AprRed-eyed Vireo 5 May 30 Apr 4 May 5 May 3 May 8 May 5 May 30 Apr 4 May 21 Apr 2 May 3 May


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Spring Arrival Dates 2015 Landbirds (cont'd)

Species R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Avg 29-Yr AvgTennessee Warbler 3 May 5 May 7 May 9 May 7 May 9 May 1 May 1 May 5 May 6 May 5 May 8 MayNashville Warbler 29 Apr 3 May 29 Apr 2 May 1 May 3 May 2 May 3 May 30 Apr 26 Apr 30 Apr 28 AprNorthern Parula 2 May 22 Apr 4 May 3 May 29 Apr 8 May 3 May 21 Apr 16 Apr 28 Apr 2 MayYellow Warbler 24 Apr 22 Apr 22 Apr 29 Apr 29 Apr 1 May 2 May 25 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 24 Apr 25 AprChestnut-sided Warbler 4 May 3 May 3 May 1 May 28 Apr 5 May 6 May 3 May 1 May 29 Apr 2 May 2 MayMagnolia Warbler 2 May 3 May 4 May 7 May 3 May 8 May 5 May 2 May 1 May 28 Apr 3 May 4 MayCape May Warbler 3 May 4 May 4 May 6 May 4 May 12 May 9 May 5 May 6 May 22 Apr 4 May 7 MayBlack-thr. Blue Warbler 3 May 3 May 30 Apr 4 May 26 Apr 1 May 1 May 1 May 1 May 23 Apr 30 Apr 30 AprBlack-thr Green Warbler 26 Apr 16 Apr 27 Apr 29 Apr 30 Apr 4 May 1 May 1 May 21 Apr 21 Apr 26 Apr 25 AprBlackburnian Warbler 1 May 3 May 30 Apr 1 May 2 May 4 May 3 May 2 May 3 May 2 May 2 MayPine Warbler 8 Apr 6 Apr 11 Apr 12 Apr 12 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 16 Apr 29 Mar 15 Mar 7 Apr 9 AprPalm Warbler 19 Apr 25 Apr 5 May 14 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 13 Apr 4 Apr 22 Mar 14 Apr 17 AprBay-breasted Warbler 5 May 7 May 9 May 7 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 8 May 5 May 4 May 6 May 10 MayBlackpoll Warbler 8 May 8 May 9 May 12 May 11 May 9 May 15 May 1 May 4 May 2 May 7 May 11 MayBlack-and-White Warbler 19 Apr 29 Apr 18 Apr 16 Apr 26 Apr 29 Apr 1 May 25 Apr 13 Apr 5 Apr 21 Apr 24 AprAmerican Redstart 3 May 3 May 2 May 30 Apr 1 May 3 May 3 May 30 Apr 26 Apr 21 Apr 30 Apr 2 MayOvenbird 1 May 3 May 1 May 30 Apr 1 May 1 May 2 May 26 Apr 28 Apr 18 Apr 29 Apr 29 AprNorthern Waterthrush 26 Apr 26 Apr 25 Apr 30 Apr 21 Apr 23 Apr 3 May 25 Apr 22 Apr 15 Apr 24 Apr 25 AprMourning Warbler 10 May 10 May 9 May 9 May 6 May 13 May 12 May 30 Apr 6 May 8 May 8 May 14 MayCommon Yellowthroat 18 Apr 20 Apr 27 Apr 1 May 1 May 3 May 5 May 29 Apr 2 Apr 14 Apr 24 Apr 29 AprWilson's Warbler 8 May 5 May 9 May 13 May 9 May 9 May 12 May 8 May 4 May 5 May 8 May 10 MayCanada Warbler 8 May 7 May 9 May 8 May 7 May 11 May 15 May 7 May 7 May 3 May 8 May 10 MayScarlet Tanager 4 May 4 May 3 May 1 May 3 May 6 May 7 May 2 May 1 May 21 Apr 2 May 3 MayRose-breasted Grosbeak 28 Apr 22 Apr 30 Apr 30 Apr 28 Apr 2 May 1 May 29 Apr 23 Apr 18 Apr 27 Apr 28 AprIndigo Bunting 3 May 4 May 30 Apr 20 Apr 3 May 9 May 8 May 2 May 21 Apr 1 May 3 MayEastern Towhee 4 Apr 3 Apr 5 Apr 11 Apr 31 Mar 17 Apr 16 Apr 12 Apr 16 Mar 5 Apr 9 AprChipping Sparrow 1 May 1 Apr 27 Mar 3 Apr 3 Apr 14 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 14 Mar 4 Apr 4 AprVesper Sparrow 5 Apr 11 Apr 4 Apr 30 Mar 10 Apr 13 Apr 7 Apr 21 Apr 18 Mar 6 Apr 10 AprSavannah Sparrow 6 Apr 9 Apr 13 Mar 2 Apr 3 Apr 13 Apr 9 Apr 14 Mar 17 Apr 2 Apr 6 AprLincoln's Sparrow 4 May 4 May 1 May 14 May 6 May 9 May 2 May 30 Apr 6 May 5 May 4 MayWhite-crowned Sparrow 15 Apr 15 Apr 15 Apr 1 May 30 Mar 1 May 5 May 3 Apr 1 May 18 Apr 19 Apr 24 AprBobolink 3 May 1 May 2 May 1 May 3 May 4 May 7 May 1 May 2 May 6 May 3 May 2 MayBaltimore Oriole 30 Apr 30 Apr 30 Apr 1 May 1 May 4 May 6 May 28 Apr 23 Apr 12 Apr 28 Apr 29 AprOverall Average 19 Apr 19 Apr 19 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 25 Apr 27 Apr 23 Apr 20 Apr 15 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr



REGION 1—NIAGARA FRONTIER

Mike Morgante 6405 Woodberry Court, East Amherst, NY 14051

[email protected]

James Pawlicki 2100 Sheridan Drive Apt #149, Tonawanda, NY 14223

[email protected] The chill of winter continued in March 2015. The mean temperature at the Buffalo weather station was 29.2° F, 4.8° below normal, and with only one day that made it to the 50s. There was 1.44" of precipitation, 1.43" below average. Snowfall was 9.6", 3.3" below average. Lake Erie and inland ponds remained frozen throughout the month. It was a mostly typical April, which was a relief after the prolonged cold. The mean temperature was 45.8°, only 0.1° below average. Precipitation was 2.70", 0.31" below average. Snowfall was 0.3", 2.4" below normal. The middle of the month was warm, but the last week and half was cold which stifled migration. Lake Erie had an ice out date of 18 April, which is close to normal. May was very warm and dry. The average temperature was 62.6°, 5.7° above normal. Rainfall was 3.50", 0.04" below normal, but there were only two rain events all month. The 2.44" of rain on the 31st was the second greatest calendar rainfall event in May. Similar to last spring, waterfowl migration progressed slowly in March, no doubt influenced by the continuation of below average temperatures and lingering ice from February. Large concentrations of geese were found primarily on the Lake Ontario Plain in Niagara and Orleans Counties, where counts of 5,350 and 3,000 Snow Geese were made on 25 and 29 March, respectively. There was only one report of Greater White-fronted Goose this spring, while small numbers of Cackling Geese continue to have a regular presence in flocks of Canada Geese. Single Ross’s Geese were seen within flocks of Canada Geese in Newstead on 26 March and Somerset on 5 April and continue to be an expected sight in spring. Ducks were highlighted by a female King Eider present for at least two weeks at Buffalo Harbor in early March, as well as a Harlequin Duck on the Niagara River near Unity (formerly Squaw) Island that continued over from February. There were four reports of Eurasian Wigeon, one each at Dunkirk Harbor and the nearby Berry Rd. marsh in Pomfret in late March, and then two reports in April from the Iroquois NWR complex. Also seen was a male hybrid Eurasian x American Wigeon at Goose Pond (Stafford Marsh) on the Oak Orchard WMA on 3 April. Photographs showed it appearing very similar to Eurasian Wigeon but with greenish iridescence and subtle contrast on the face, and peachy-buff coloration extending on the sides, features that suggested American Wigeon influence. While visiting Wilson-Tuscarora SP on 29 May,


Charles Horton photographed an unusual duck that turned out to be the Region’s fourth record of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, all since 2009. The bird frequented the shoreline and private docks near the mouth of the western branch of Twelve-Mile Creek and lingered into the summer season, allowing many to see and photograph this cooperative “tree duck”. While driving westbound along the I-90 in the town of Dunkirk during the early morning of 23 April, Pawlicki observed a flock of 12 Double-crested Cormorants that contained one smaller cormorant as they flew west along the highway. He was able to pull over to the shoulder and watch as the flock flew directly overhead, confirming that the small cormorant was indeed a Neotropic Cormorant, a Regional first and second for the State. Later that same morning, Gale VerHague briefly relocated the bird approximately four miles to the southwest at Lake Erie SP and then again with Sue Barth at a pond along Van Buren Road in the nearby town of Pomfret. Many observers made it to the Van Buren Road pond over the next two days where it was regularly seen swimming and loafing on the shoreline amongst Double-crested Cormorants. Golden Eagles put in a good showing this spring, with a total of 10 reports in March and April, three of which were away from lakeshore sites. Ospreys and Bald Eagles continue to be an increasingly regular sight throughout the Region in April and May. The 18 Bald Eagles seen flying past the Hamburg Hawkwatch on 13 April was the site’s all-time highest single day count. The shorebird migration in April and May was a mixed bag, with average diversity and generally below average numbers. After a slow start, several notable observations were made from Batavia WWTP in late May, highlighted by a Wilson’s Phalarope on the 22nd, single Whimbrels on the 22nd and 28th, and a flock of 15 Ruddy Turnstones on the 25th. A flock of nine Whimbrels briefly touched down at the Tonawanda WMA on the 28th as well. Eight Short-billed Dowitchers photographed at Conewango Swamp WMA in central Cattaraugus County on the 20th was especially notable for the location. The only reports of Willet and White-rumped Sandpiper were both from the Tonawanda WMA on 30 May. Numbers of Bonaparte’s Gulls on the Niagara River were notably low this spring, and no counts of over 350 were made from either the upper or lower river. There were only two reports of Little Gulls from Lewiston in March, compared with three reports from the Lake Erie shore in April, where less common. Black Terns were numerous around the Iroquois NWR complex, and a count of 56 made there on 17 May is hopefully a precursor to a productive breeding season. Away from Iroquois, small numbers of migrant Black Terns were also noted in late May at the Batavia WWTP, Chautauqua Lake, and a small wetland in the town of Middlebury. Common Terns arrived at Buffalo Harbor on 4 April, but numbers there and along the upper Niagara River were much lower than normal in April and May. Connie Adams of the NYSDEC reported many fewer nests and many failed nesting attempts on the breakwalls in Buffalo Harbor by late May. The lower numbers of Common Terns at the


Buffalo Harbor colony perhaps influenced some higher counts in other locations, such as the 95 seen at Dunkirk Harbor on 25 April and 45 noted at Chautauqua Lake on 13 May. Five sightings of Forster’s Tern in late April and early May were more than usual for spring, with observations from Cuba Lake in Allegany County, Chautauqua Lake, Batavia WWTP, and the Lake Erie shore in Dunkirk. While birding with Willie D’Anna at Wilson Harbor on 1 May, Betsy Potter heard what she quickly recognized as the song of a Eurasian Collared-Dove. D’Anna then found the bird perched nearby at the Wilson Boathouse Restaurant and obtained several photographs. Reports at this location, where the dove was often heard singing and seen chasing Mourning Doves, were made up until 5 May. This makes the third sighting of this species in this general vicinity of Wilson Harbor within the last year, with the initial sighting in August 2014 followed by another in January 2015, all of which may pertain to the same individual. Further sightings of this individual as well as a second individual into the summer season would lead one to suspect that the first confirmed breeding of the species for the Region is not far behind. After this winter’s “return flight” of Snowy Owls from the large irruption of winter ‘13-’14, a small number of observations continued into March and April. The spring’s maximum of four was seen on the ice at Buffalo Harbor on 2 April. An individual photographed by Jan Errick along the Niagara River at Beaver Island SP on 31 May was the Region’s latest record at the time of observation. Perhaps the most unexpected sighting this spring was the male Black-backed Woodpecker photographed by Kathleen Thomas at Reinstein Woods NP in suburban Cheektowaga on 26 May. Many searched heavily for the bird during the following two days, but it was not seen again. Those searching noted that a large number of ash trees at the preserve and in the general vicinity were infested with the non-native emerald ash borer beetle, and it was speculated whether this played a role in the bird’s appearance at this location. This represents the first sighting of a Black-backed Woodpecker in the Region since 1976, when the last outbreak of the Dutch Elm disease infected many trees across much of the northeastern U.S., leading to sightings of both Black-backed and American Three-toed Woodpeckers in stands of dead and dying trees outside their normal ranges. Also unexpected was the Say’s Phoebe that Joe Mitchell identified in a wooded wetland at Conewango Swamp WMA during the BOS April Count. The phoebe stuck around the rest of the afternoon allowing for some successful chases. This is only the second Regional record and the first for spring. While it is better known as a fall vagrant to the east, there have been April reports in the last decade from generally proximate areas as Presque Isle, PA; northeast Ohio; and Long Point and Toronto, Ontario. Beyond the rarities, it was generally considered a good spring songbird migration, albeit slow through most of March, slow again in mid-April, but


caught up in early to mid-May. There were few noticeably “early” arrivals this year compared with other recent spring seasons. However, a Philadelphia Vireo photographed by Glenn Adams at Four Mile Creek SP on 4 May was the earliest on record. While warbler migrant numbers were considered decent for recent years, there were few sightings of the rare and less common species. Connecticut Warblers at Canadaway Creek WMA and Forest Lawn Cemetery represent the rarest finds this spring. The latter was found by Richard Salembier, and a few with a lot of a patience were eventually rewarded with looks. There were three Golden-winged Warbler sightings within a three day span. Prothonotary Warblers were found at the traditional nesting location in Tonawanda WMA. While not an especially rare species, a Louisiana Waterthrush was a nice find at Forest Lawn Cemetery, as they are rarely recorded in migration in this Region. Pine Siskins were relatively common in April and May, but otherwise there were few of the winter finches around. Similar to winter, Common Redpolls were present in small numbers with the exception of a congregation at the D’Anna/Potter feeders in Wilson that swelled to 67 in late March. Willie D’Anna identified and photographed a Hoary Redpoll on 1 April, which, no fooling, may become the last Regional record, as this species is soon expected to be lumped with Common Redpoll. Only one Evening Grosbeak was reported this spring. The B.O.S. April Count was held on 12 April, and a total of 155 species was recorded. The Say’s Phoebe was a first count record as was a male Rufous Hummingbird in the Ontario portion of the BOS Study Area. There were five record high counts since the 1935 inception including: Cackling Goose (17), Peregrine Falcon (11), Sandhill Crane (13), Red-bellied Woodpecker (282), and Fish Crow (6; all in Ontario). The B.O.S. May Count was held on May 17. The full compilation was not available at the time of writing. We lost two prominent birders in our community this spring with the passing of Bill Watson and Terry Yonker. A tribute to Bill written by Willie D’Anna was published in the previous issue of The Kingbird. His name/initials appeared as often as anyone in the Region 1 accounts over the past several decades, which was the result of his love for birds, dedicated record keeping, and commitment to get out birding seemingly every other day. Terry was a stalwart in the local birding and conservation community including serving as President of the Buffalo Ornithological Society from 2001-2005. They will be missed.

CONTRIBUTORS Glenn Adams, Rick Bacher, Sue Barth, Doug Beattie, Jim Berry, Willie D’Anna, Jan Errick, Joe Fell, Kurt Fox, Chris Gainey, Andy Guthrie, Joanne Goetz, Ethan Gylenhaal, Becky Harbinson, Carol Hardenburg (CHa), Fred Harrington, Linda Holmes, Charles


Horton (CHo), Alec Humann, Tom Kerr, Jim & Karen Landau, Greg Lawrence, Tim Lenz, Jay McGowan (JMc), Joe Mitchell (JMi), Mike Morgante, Celeste Morien, Roy Morris, David Nicosia, James Pawlicki, Betsy Potter, Gil Randell, Ken Reichman (KRe), Kevin Rybczynski (KRy), Richard Salembier (RSa), Shawn Salim (SSa), James Sawusch, Shelly Seidman (SSe), Debbie Sharon (DSh), Alex Shiperd, Tom Simmons, Robert Spahn (RSp), James Styne, David and Debbie Suggs, Holly Sweeney, Kathleen Thomas, Gale VerHague, Kirk Vanstrom, Jonathan Weber, Kinsley Whittum, Peter Yoerg.

ABBREVIATIONS AmSP – Amherst SP, ERIE; BeSP – Beaver I SP, ERIE; BMAC – Beaver Meadow Audubon Center, WYOM; BOSAC – Buffalo Ornithological Society April Count – 12 April; BOSMC – Buffalo Ornithological Society May Count – 17 May; BufH – Buffalo Harbor, ERIE; BWWTP – Batavia Waste Water Treatment Plant, GENE; ChauL – Chautauqua L, CHAU; CHMUA – Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area, GENE/WYOM; CSWMA – Conewango Swamp, WMA CATT; DH – Dunkirk Harbor, CHAU; FLC – Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo ERIE; FMCSP – Four Mile Creek SP, NIAG; FNSP – Fort Niagara SP, NIAG; Hamburg HW – Hamburg Hawk Watch, ERIE; INWR – Iroquois, NWR GENE/ORLE; JAS – Jamestown Audubon Sanctuary, CHAU; LBSP – Lakeside Beach SP, ORLE; LESP – Lake Erie SP, CHAU; NR – Niagara R; OOWMA – Oak Orchard WMA, GENE/ORLE; PB – Point Breeze, ORLE; PG – Point Gratiot, CHAU; RWNP – Reinstein Woods NP, ERIE; Ripley HW – Ripley Hawk Watch, CHAU; SPNS – Sinking Ponds NS, ERIE; Tifft NP – Tifft Nature Preserve, ERIE; TRWMA – Tillman Road WMA, ERIE; TWMA – Tonawanda WMA, GENE/NIAG; WFWMA – Watts Flats WMA, CHAU; WoBSP – Woodlawn Beach SP, ERIE; WTSP – Wilson-Tuscarora SP, NIAG.

WHISTLING-DUCKS – VULTURES

BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK: WTSP 29 May (CHo, ph); continued into June; 4th Reg. record, all since 2009. Greater White-fronted Goose: Newfane NIAG 29 Mar (PY), only report. Snow Goose: arr 85 DH 3 Mar; max 5350 Carlton ORLE 25 Mar (WD); 1500 Medina ORLE 27 Mar; 2070 Royalton NIAG 28 Mar; 3000 Somerset NIAG 29 Mar; 1350 INWR 1 Apr, 20 Hamburg HW 6 Apr; last INWR 25 May, injured; flocks of up to a few thousand becoming annual in spring. ROSS’S GOOSE (R1): Newstead ERIE 26 Mar (JMi!, ph); Somerset NIAG 5 Apr (JW, ph); now nearly annual in spring. Cackling Goose: arr 10 Somerset NIAG 16 Mar; 7 Sheridan CHAU 17 Mar; max 17 Newstead ERIE 24 Mar; East Aurora ERIE 1 Apr; 17 BOSAC; last 6 Somerset NIAG 15 Apr. Mute Swan: 1-6 DH 7-24 Mar; 2 BeSP 15, 18 Mar; 2 Middleport NIAG 25 Mar; Pomfret

CHAU 25 Mar-10 Apr; only reports away from L Ontario shore where regular. Trumpeter Swan: FNSP 10 Mar, wing-tagged (WD, BP); DH 4-5 Apr (GV, JG); TWMA 11, 21 Apr, 27 May (GL, KF, CM); INWR 7 May (CM); BWWTP 23 May (CM, SB); only reports. Tundra Swan: arr 2 Ashford CATT 10 Mar; 140 Yates ORLE 25 Mar; 140, 73 INWR 27 Mar, 1 Apr; 6 Tifft NP 4 Apr; last 2 Findley L CHAU 16 May; low numbers compared to typical spring counts. Wood Duck: arr Olean CATT 8 Mar; max 100 WFWMA 29 Mar (JB). Gadwall: BufH 13 Mar; 12 Pomfret CHAU 16 Mar; max 39, 36 OOWMA 7, 30 Apr. Eurasian Wigeon: DH 28 Mar (TL); Pomfret CHAU 29, 30 Mar (GV, SSa, BH); OOWMA 13-14, 18 Apr (PY, DB, JP); INWR 24-25 Apr (JS, GA, WD, BP). Eurasian x Am. Wigeon: m OOWMA 3 Apr (CM, ph); rare, features much like Eurasian, but showing traces of American influence.


Am. Wigeon: 5 BufH 13 Mar; 33 Celeron ChauL 2 Apr, max 100 INWR 10 Apr. Blue-winged Teal: arr Orchard Park ERIE 10 Mar; 1, 2 FLC 12-26 Mar, 2 May; 8, 15 Pomfret CHAU 27 Mar, 14 Apr; max 16 Batavia GENE 8 Apr; 83 BOSAC; 8 BOSMC. N. Shoveler: arr Olcott NIAG 14 Mar; Yates ORLE 16 Mar; 20, max 27 OOWMA 3, 12 Apr; 2 BWWTP 26 May. N. Pintail: arr 28 Wilson NIAG 10 Mar; 100 DH 28 Mar; 445, max 573, 348 INWR 10, 17 Apr, 1 May; 60 Elba GENE 11 Apr; last 2 BWWTP 23 May. Green-winged Teal: arr BufH 13 Mar; 100 Elba GENE 11 Apr; max 162, 68 INWR 17 Apr, 1 May. Canvasback: 8 FLC 1 Mar; arr 17 BWWTP 4 Mar; 150 DH 28 Mar; 35 BufH 9, 15 Apr; Findley L CHAU 16 May; BufH 24 May. Redhead: arr 3, 83 BWWTP 4, 17 Mar; max 300 BeSP 21 Mar; 80 Celeron ChauL 29 Mar; 100 TWMA 4 Apr; 2 BWWTP 4 May; BuSP 16 May. Ring-necked Duck: arr 12 Orchard Park ERIE, 1 Wilson NIAG 10 Mar; max 142 TWMA 30 Mar; 159 BWWTP 4 Apr; 119 INWR 1 May; last N Harmony CHAU 23 May. Greater Scaup: max 1500, 1100, 450 BufH 1, 13 Mar, 2 Apr; last WTSP 17 May (WD). Lesser Scaup: 120 Buffalo NR 8 Mar; 35 LBSP 6 Apr; max 158, 33, 2 BWWTP 11 Apr, 2, 30 May. King Eider: f BufH 1, 13 Mar (JP, WD, SB), only report. Harlequin Duck: f 1, 8 Mar (JP, AG), continuing from winter, only report. Surf Scoter: 4, 2 DH 7, 11 Mar; Buffalo NR 8 Mar; FNSP 20 Mar; PB 28 Mar; 2 Wilson NIAG 16 Apr; 2 Cuba L ALLE 27 Apr; last BWWTP, max 9 Somerset NIAG 2 May. White-winged Scoter: BWWTP 5 Mar, uncommon inland; max 115 FNSP 10 Mar; 55 BufH 13 Mar; 49 Wilson NIAG 25 Apr; 2 Cuba L ALLE 27 Apr; 8, 2 FMCSP 30 Apr, 7 May. Black Scoter: 1, 2 BufH 1-31 Mar, 1-2 Apr (JP, BP, J&KL, JMi); Buffalo NR 8 Mar (JP, AG); only reports. Long-tailed Duck: 125 Buffalo NR 8 Mar; max 730 Wilson NIAG 25 Apr; 400 FMCSP 30 Apr; 926 BOSMC; last 124 LBSP 18 May. Bufflehead: max 410 Buffalo NR 7 Mar; 142, 38, last 1 BWWTP 11 Apr, 2, 30 May; 50 Cuba L ALLE 17 Apr. Com. Goldeneye: max 1260 Buffalo ERIE 1 Mar; 320 DH 28 Mar; Porter NIAG 7 May; last 3 BOSMC.

Hooded Merganser: arr 2 BWWTP 4 Mar; max 50 DH 28 Mar; 26 Pomfret CHAU 6 Apr; 28, 6 Tifft NP 9 Apr, 28 May. Com. Merganser: 40 FLC 1 Mar; max 250 Buffalo NR 19 Mar; 69, 2 BWWTP 4 Apr, 28 May. Red-breasted Merganser: max 1000 DH, LESP 25, 26 Apr (JMc, TL); 225 Wilson NIAG 5 May; 11 Lewiston Res NIAG 22 May. Ruddy Duck: arr 2 Orchard Park ERIE 10 Mar; max 163 Olcott NIAG 17 Mar (JW!), record count for L Ontario; 25 DH 17, 31 Mar; 95, 34 BWWTP 23 Apr, 5 May; 115 Mayville ChauL 25 Apr (TL). Red-throated Loon: 2 DH 6, 14 Mar; 14 FMCSP 10 Mar; 23, 3, last 1 BufH 13 Mar, 1 Apr, 24 May (JP); 4 Lewiston Res 22 Mar; BMAC 19 Apr, rare inland; 66 Wilson NIAG 25 Apr; 195 BOSMC; 5 LBSP 14 May. Com. Loon: Buffalo NR 5 Mar; 133 BOSAC; 87 Wilson NIAG 25 Apr; 114 BOSMC; Grand I NR 30 May. Pied-billed Grebe: arr BWWTP 13 Mar; 125 BOSAC. Horned Grebe: 5 BufH 13 Mar; 24, 49 DH 28 Mar, 4 Apr; 40 Cuba L ALLE 18 Apr; max 190 Mayville ChauL 25 Apr (TL); 17, last 1 BWWTP 4, 28 May (CM, DB), late. Red-necked Grebe: BufH 7 Mar; FMCSP, FNSP 10 Mar; max 125 L Ontario Olcott to Yates (WD); 40 Wilson NIAG 25 Apr; 7 Somerset NIAG 2 May; TRWMA 9 May; last BWWTP 23 May (DB), late. NEOTROPIC CORMORANT: Dunkirk CHAU 23 Apr (JP!, ph), fly-over; Pomfret CHAU 23-25 Apr (GV, SB, WD!, mob, ph); 1st Reg and 2nd State record, intro. Double-crested Cormorant: arr 54 Hamburg HW 23 Mar; 7 Wellsville ALLE 26 Mar; 800, max 1800 DH, PG 25 Apr (JMc, TL); 600 FMCSP 30 Apr; 450 PB 9 May. Am. Bittern: arr INWR 11 Apr; 1-2 Tifft NP 13-16 Apr; BWWTP 1 May; max 6 INWR 21 May (CM, SB). Least Bittern: arr Tifft NP 8 May; 1, 2 INWR 25, 27 May. Great Blue Heron: 85, max 112 Tonawanda NR 5, 12 Apr. Great Egret: arr BeSP 27 Mar; Pomfret CHAU 1 Apr; 2 WFWMA 5 Apr; 8, 17 OOWMA 25, 28 May; max 53 Tonawanda NR 17 May (AH). Green Heron: arr FLC 10 Apr. Black-crowned Night-Heron: 2 DH 9 Mar; 3 Buffalo NR 22 Mar; max 52, 29 Tonawanda NR 12 Apr, 17 May; 2 FLC 16 May; 2 WoBSP 24 May.


Black Vulture: max 7, 5 Lewiston NIAG 16, 31 Mar (DSh, JF), regular location where resident all year; JDSP 30 Apr (TK); Ripley HW 9 May (GR); Lewiston Res 22 May (JP). Turkey Vulture: max 3484, 2867, 1879 Ripley HW, LBSP, Hamburg HW 2 Apr.

HAWKS - LARIDS

Osprey: arr Hamburg HW 28 Mar; max 26 Hamburg HW 6 Apr. Bald Eagle: 12 DH 7 Mar; 10 INWR 3 Apr; max 18 Hamburg HW 13 Apr. N. Harrier: max 12 Ripley HW 20 Apr. Sharp-shinned Hawk: max 128, 121 Ripley HW 2, 13 Apr. N. Goshawk: Ripley HW 29 Mar (GR); S Buffalo BOSAC (KRy); only reports. Red-shouldered Hawk: East Aurora ERIE 1 Mar (SB); Cuba ALLE 6 Mar; max 74 Ripley HW, 55 Hamburg HW 29 Mar. Broad-winged Hawk: arr 2, max 1860, 1303 Ripley HW 11, 20, 21 Apr. Red-tailed Hawk: max 140 Ripley HW 29 Mar. Rough-legged Hawk: 3 Cuba ALLE 28 Mar; max 8 LBSP 2 Apr; last Alden ERIE 29 Apr. Golden Eagle: 1, 1 Ripley HW 19 Mar, 26 Apr (GR); Alden ERIE 28 Mar (D&DS); LBSP 2, 13 Apr (GL, PY); SPNS 9 Apr (LH); BOSAC; Hamburg HW 16 Apr (JL); Tifft NP 19 Apr (PY); INWR 26 Apr (TL), good distribution of sightings. Virginia Rail: arr, max 4 Tifft NP 12, 19 Apr; 2 Cuba ALLE 16, 21 Apr; Pomfret CHAU 26 Apr; 2 CSWMA, BWWTP 18, 30 May. Sora: arr INWR 18 Apr; BWWTP 19 Apr; Pomfret CHAU 26 Apr; max 4 JAS 2 May; Tifft NP 16 May; WFWMA 17 May. Com. Gallinule: arr max 15 INWR 12 Apr, 14 May; JAS 2 May; 3 Tifft NP 28 May. Am. Coot: arr Orchard Park ERIE 10 Mar; max 100 DH 14 Mar; 8 Pomfret CHAU 6 Apr; 65 INWR 24 Apr; WFWMA 8 May; Tifft NP 18 May. Sandhill Crane: arr Sheridan CHAU, Hamburg HW 16 Mar; 1-2 INWR 30 Mar-25 May; 2, 1 JAS 4 Apr, 15 May; 2 Somerset NIAG 9 Apr; 1-2 Shelby ORLE 19-21 Apr; Harmony CHAU 25 Apr; 3 SPNS 4 May. Black-bellied Plover: no reports. Semipalmated Plover: arr Newstead ERIE 6 May; max 14 BWWTP 22 May. Spotted Sandpiper: arr BOSAC; max 31 BWWTP 17 May.

Solitary Sandpiper: arr BOSAC; Newstead ERIE 18 Apr; max 9 Sheridan CHAU 6 May (GV); 6 Hanging Bog WMA ALLE 7 May; last 2 Cheektowaga ERIE 22 May. Greater Yellowlegs: arr 4, max 30, last 1 INWR 3, 11 Apr, 28 May; 24 Dunkirk CHAU 22 Apr; 25 Elba GENE 25 Apr. Willet: TWMA 30 May (JP, JMi), only report. Lesser Yellowlegs: arr 3 INWR 5 Apr; max 12 Sherman CHAU 5 May; last BWWTP 25 May. Upland Sandpiper: arr 1-2 N Java WYOM 12 Apr-23 May; TRWMA 14 Apr, 9 May; regular locations. Whimbrel: 1, 1 BWWTP 22, 28 May (JMi, JP; BH); 9 TWMA 28 May (RSp, KW). Ruddy Turnstone: arr Hamburg ERIE 10 May; PB 17 May; 3 BufH 24 May; max 15, 12 BWWTP 25, 28 May; TWMA 30 May. Sanderling: 2 BWWTP 28 May, rare inland; 4 DH 30 May; only reports. Semipalmated Sandpiper: arr PB 16 May; max 54 BWWTP 26 May; 52 TWMA 30 May. Least Sandpiper: arr 3 Sherman CHAU 5 May; max 163 INWR 7 May; 106, 39 BWWTP 14, 22 May; last 5 OOWMA 28 May. White-rumped Sandpiper: TWMA 30 May (JP, JMi), only report. Pectoral Sandpiper: arr 3, max 11 INWR 5, 17 Apr. Dunlin: arr, 19 INWR 13, 21 Apr; 5 Lewiston Res NIAG 22 May; max 25 BWWTP 23 May. Short-billed Dowitcher: arr 3, 1-2 BWWTP 17, 22-24 May (KF, JMi, JP); Newstead ERIE 18 May (JMi); max 8 CSWMA 20 May (AS). Wilson’s Snipe: arr 4 Portland CHAU 24 Mar; max 80 Sheridan CHAU 5 Apr. Am. Woodcock: arr Jamestown CHAU 9 Mar; max 8 Grand I 19 Apr. Wilson’s Phalarope: BWWTP 22 May (JMi, JP), only report. Bonaparte’s Gull: arr 160 Buffalo NR 21 Mar; max 500 DH 25 Apr; 65 Wilson NIAG 3 May; 90 Ellery CHAU 14 May; low numbers on Niagara R Mar-Apr. Little Gull: arr 1, 4 Lewiston NR 24, 29 Mar; BufH 11 Apr; PG 23 Apr; DH 24 Apr; few reports. Herring Gull: max 1200 FMCSP 10 Mar, 1200 Lewiston Res NIAG 22 Mar. Iceland Gull: 2 Belmont ALLE 7 Mar (RM); max 9, 2 DH 8 Mar, 25 Apr (JP, AG; BP); BeSP 21 Mar; INWR 4 Apr (GL, EG); 2 BWWTP 4 Apr (GL, EG); LESP 26 Apr; Hamburg HW 26 Apr; FMCSP 7 May; last Porter NIAG 12 May.


Lesser Black-b. Gull: Grand I NR 14 Mar; DH 28 Mar, 27 Apr, 1 May; 1, 4 BeSP 31 Mar, 13 Apr; Celeron ChauL 2 Apr; INWR 4, 11 Apr; 4 Wilson NIAG 22 Apr; 2 FMCSP 30 Apr; 2 Porter NIAG 12 May; Lewiston Res NIAG 22 May; now more widespread in spring. Glaucous Gull: 2 BufH 7 Mar; 3, 2 DH 17 Mar, 25 Apr; FLC 16 Mar; 3, last 1 Lewiston Res NIAG 22 Mar, 22 May; BeSP 25 Mar; INWR 3 Apr; BWWTP 4 Apr; FMCSP 30 Apr; Porter NIAG 12 May. Caspian Tern: arr 2 Olcott NIAG 11 Apr; max 55 DH 1 May. Black Tern: arr 11, max 56, 25 INWR 1, 14, 27 May (CM, DN, MM); 2 BWWTP 23 May (DB); 6 ChauL 24 May (PF); Middlebury WYOM 28 May (DB), unusual location. Com. Tern: arr 1, 150 BufH 4 Apr, 24 May; 95 DH 25 Apr; 198 WoBSP 9 May; 45 ChauL 13 May; low #’s in Apr-May on Niagara R and at colony in BufH. Forster’s Tern: arr Cuba L ALLE 25 Apr (TL); 2 PG 26 Apr (TL); BWWTP 30 Apr (GL); DH 1 May (JP); 2 ChauL 5 May (KV); good showing.

PIGEONS – PARROTS EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: Wilson NIAG 1-5 May (WD!, BP, mob, ph); 4th Reg record, likely same individual seen nearby in winter. Yellow-billed Cuckoo: arr BOSMC. Black-billed Cuckoo: arr INWR 9 May. Snowy Owl: Grand Island ERIE, Shelby ORLE 5 Mar; Lewiston Res NIAG 8, 22 Mar; 1, 4 BufH 10 Mar, 2 Apr; Cambria NIAG 18 Mar; Somerset NIAG 10 Apr; BeSP 31 May (JE, ph), late; good showing after “return-flight” during winter. Barred Owl: Tifft NP 14 May (DSh), unusual location. Long-eared Owl: 2 WTSP 30 Mar (BP), only report. Short-eared Owl: Ransomville NIAG 3 Mar; 4, 2 Shelby ORLE 18 Mar, 14 Apr, known wintering site; BWWTP 28 Mar; Tifft NP 12 Apr; last Waterport ORLE 22 Apr; good showing of migrants. N. Saw-whet Owl: WTSP 21, 31 Mar, 3 Apr (BP, WD, SB), only reports. Com. Nighthawk: arr 10, 29 Celeron CHAU 16, 23 May (TS); arr Cambria NIAG 16 May; slight uptick in reports compared with recent springs.

Chimney Swift: arr Hamburg HW 26 Apr; max 170 Goat I 31 May. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr 2 Chautauqua CHAU 29 Apr, slightly early. Red-headed Woodpecker: Hamburg ERIE 1 Mar-31 Apr, cont from winter; 3, 2 LBSP 2 Apr, 16 May; 3 PG 9 May; 2 LESP 10, 16 May; WTSP 19 May; 2 EVSP 29 May. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: arr multiple locations 2 Apr. BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER: m RWNP 26 May (KT, ph), very unexpected, intro, first in Reg since 1976. Am. Kestrel: max 29 Ripley HW 2 Apr. Merlin: sev rep migr Mar-Apr; 2, 1 Celeron CHAU 18, 26 May (TS), known breeding site; LBSP 16, 30 May. Peregrine Falcon: several reports Mar-May near known breeding sites; 4 Hamburg HW 9 Apr; Tonawanda ERIE 12 Apr; LBSP 13 Apr; 2, 1 Lewiston Res 14 Apr, 7 May; INWR 24 Apr; 2 DH 25 Apr, new breeding location; Lockport NIAG 11 May, possible breeding nearby; 11 BOSMC, new high count.

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS

Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr 1, 1, 1 FLC 8, 16, 26 May (AH, HS, AH); BOSMC; AlSP 31 May (CM, et al.). E. Wood-Pewee: arr INWR, Newstead ERIE 5 May. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr AmSP 9 May. Acadian Flycatcher: arr Middlebury WYOM 10 May (DB); max 3 INWR 25 May. Alder Flycatcher: arr 15 BOSMC. Willow Flycatcher: arr FLC, Tifft NP, INWR 9 May. Least Flycatcher: arr Elba GENE 25 Apr. E. Phoebe: arr Amherst ERIE 25 Mar. SAY’S PHOEBE: CSWMA 12 Apr (JMi! mob); second for Reg. Great Crested Flycatcher: arr Forestville CHAU 1 May. E. Kingbird: arr 2 BMAC 28 Apr. N. Shrike: last INWR 4 Apr. Yellow-throated Vireo: arr 3 Batavia GENE, 2 Pomfret CHAU 4 May. Blue-headed Vireo: arr Alfred ALLE 18 Apr. Warbling Vireo: arr FLC 29 Apr. Philadelphia Vireo: arr FMCSP 4 May (GA, ph), record early. Red-eyed Vireo: arr FLC, 2 Newstead ERIE 5 May. FISH CROW (R1): WTSP 3 May (WD!), 2nd record for NIAG.


Com. Raven: Hamburg HW 12 Mar; Tonawanda ERIE 16 Apr, apparent nesting again; 2 Newfane NIAG, consistent with recent increase in northern counties. Purple Martin: arr 2 Forestville CHAU 1 Apr. Tree Swallow: arr 10 Alexander GENE, 4 Gerry CHAU 9 Mar. N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr 2 FLC 10 Apr. Bank Swallow: arr 14 BOSAC. Cliff Swallow: arr 2 Tifft NP 21 Apr. Barn Swallow: arr Buffalo ERIE, 2 BWWTP 3 Apr. House Wren: arr Eden ERIE 12 Apr (FH!), early. Winter Wren: Wellsville ALLE 10 Mar; arr Buffalo ERIE 2 Apr. Marsh Wren: arr OOWMA 14 Apr. Carolina Wren: only 24 on BOSAC and 19 BOSMC; could be indicative of toll from harsh winter after record of 75 on last year’s Apr count. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: arr 3 BOSAC. Golden-crowned Kinglet: arr Westfield CHAU 28 Mar. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: arr Alma ALLE, WTSP, Amherst ERIE 9 Apr. Veery: arr Portland CHAU 2 May. Gray-cheeked Thrush: arr Wilson NIAG 8 May. Swainson’s Thrush: arr FLC 4 May. Hermit Thrush: arr Tifft NP 6 Apr. Wood Thrush: arr Shelby ORLE 30 Apr. Gray Catbird: 2 BOSAC, arrivals?; FLC 18 Apr. Brown Thrasher: arr 15 BOSAC. Am. Pipit: arr Dunkirk 11 Mar; last 8 BOSMC.

LONGSPURS - WARBLERS

Lapland Longspur: 15 Shelby ORLE 2 Mar; Sheridan CHAU 20 Mar; only reports. Snow Bunting: max 300 Wilson NIAG 1 Mar; last 2 LBSP 2 Apr. Ovenbird: arr Harmony CHAU 1 May. Louisiana Waterthrush: arr N Harmony CHAU 11 Apr; FLC 6 May (SB, photo), unusual location. N. Waterthrush: arr 3 Portland CHAU 26 Apr. Golden-winged Warbler: arr LESP 7 May (CHa); Tifft NP 8 May (RB); LBSP 9 May (GL); only reports. Blue-winged Warbler: arr INWR, E Aurora ERIE 3 May. “Brewster’s” Warbler: AmSP (RSa), only report. Black-and-white Warbler: arr BeSP 19 Apr.

Prothonotary Warbler: TWMA 8-25 May, regular breeding location. Tennessee Warbler: arr Batavia GENE 3 May. Orange-crowned Warbler: arr Wilson NIAG 3 May. Nashville Warbler: arr FLC 29 Apr. Connecticut Warbler: Canadaway Creek WMA CHAU 23 May (GV); FLC 25 May (RSa, JP); only reports, rare. Mourning Warbler: arr BMAC, CHMUA, Bethany GENE 10 May. Com. Yellowthroat: arr Harmony CHAU 18 Apr (JB), early. Hooded Warbler: arr 2 BMAC, 2 Newstead ERIE, INWR 5 May. Am. Redstart: arr AlSP, Colden ERIE 3 May. Cape May Warbler: arr FLC, AmSP 3 May; last FLC 22 May. Cerulean Warbler: arr 2 INWR 5 May; Alexander GENE 16 May. N. Parula: arr AlSP, FLC 2 May. Magnolia Warbler: arr Jamestown CHAU 2 May. Bay-breasted Warbler: arr FLC 5 May. Blackburnian Warbler: arr Pomfret CHAU 1 May. Yellow Warbler: arr FLC 24 Apr. Chestnut-sided Warbler: arr multiple locations 4 May. Blackpoll Warbler: arr 2 INWR 8 May. Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr multiple locations 3 May. Palm Warbler: arr Tifft NP 19 Apr; last Bethany GENE 22 May. Pine Warbler: arr 2 Orchard Park ERIE 8 Apr; 5 BOSAC. Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr 6 BOSAC. Yellow-throated Warbler: no reports after excellent showing last few years. Prairie Warbler: arr Ashford CATT, Portland CHAU 6 May. Black-throated Green Warbler: arr 6 Portland CHAU 26 Apr. Canada Warbler: arr Andover ALLE, Wilson NIAG 8 May. Wilson’s Warbler: arr FLC, Wilson NIAG 8 May. Yellow-breasted Chat: no reports.

TOWHEES – WEAVERS E. Towhee: arr PG 4 Apr. Am. Tree Sparrow: last 4 Bethany GENE 3 May. Chipping Sparrow: Independence ALLE 7-21 Mar (KRe), at feeder; arr Bethany GENE 1 Apr.


Clay-colored Sparrow: arr 7 BOSMC; Machias CATT 28 May (CM); only reports. Field Sparrow: arr 3 Tifft NP, RWNP 2 Apr. Vesper Sparrow: arr FLC, Sheridan CHAU 5 Apr. Savannah Sparrow: arr Tifft NP 6 Apr. Grasshopper Sparrow: arr 1, 2 Dunkirk 8, 9 May; TRWMA 9 May; Middlebury WYOM 11, 26 May. Fox Sparrow: arr Independence ALLE 21 Mar; last Tifft NP 15 May. Lincoln’s Sparrow: arr FLC 4 May; last Tifft NP 24 May. Swamp Sparrow: arr 5 Caneadea ALLE 28 Mar. White-crowned Sparrow: 10 Sheridan CHAU 4 Mar; 5 Bethany GENE 5 Mar; 1-2 Wilson NIAG 1-31 Mar; arr West Seneca ERIE 15 Apr. Dark-eyed “Oregon” Junco (J.h. oreganus): Colden ERIE thru 31 Mar (J&KL). Scarlet Tanager: arr Jamestown CHAU 4 May. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: arr Gerry CHAU 28 Apr. Indigo Bunting: arr Amherst ERIE 3 May.

Bobolink: arr Dunkirk CHAU, Bethany GENE 3 May. Red-winged Blackbird: arr Orchard Park 2 Mar, late arrival. E. Meadowlark: arr Hamburg HW 16 Mar. Rusty Blackbird: arr Wellsville ALLE 20 Mar; last BOSMC. Com. Grackle: arr Portland CHAU 5 Mar, late arrival. Orchard Oriole: arr Portland CHAU 30 Apr. Baltimore Oriole: arr Tifft NP 30 Apr. Com. Redpoll: max 67 Wilson NIAG 25 Mar; scattered reports of 10 or less in Mar and early Apr; last Wilson NIAG 25 Apr (WD). HOARY REDPOLL (R1): Wilson NIAG 1 Apr (WD!, photo), only report this winter/spring. Pine Siskin: few reports in Mar; reports and numbers swelled in Apr and May; max 70, 78 Wilson NIAG 14 Apr, 4 May. Evening Grosbeak: Independence ALLE 18 Mar (KRe), only report.

EXOTICS European Goldfinch: Newstead ERIE 13 Apr (JS); reported without details; assumed escapee.

===

REGION 2—GENESEE

Robert Spahn

716 High Tower Way, Webster, NY 14580 [email protected]

Following the record cold of February, the spring season began with a cold, dry, quiet month. There were no strong systems or real warm spells to bring early migrants. Temperatures averaged 30.0° F, 4.3° below normal, with only two days reaching 50° and a maximum of only 53° on 16 March. There was light snow on 15 days, but the total of 12.3" was 3.5" below normal. By month’s end, only minor shore ice remained on our part of Lake Ontario, but the east end of the Lake, most of the Finger Lakes, and most smaller ponds were still largely ice-covered. April brought its usual ups and downs, but generally a return to more comfortable days, especially compared with the harsh winter. Temperatures averaged 47.6°, 1.3° below normal, and precipitation totaled 2.70", 0.03" below normal, with only 0.5" of snowfall. Effects on migration lay in the details. A first warm shot of the spring into the 70s on 2 April brought a burst of birds, with delayed March arrivals and some very early other additions. Then about 10


days of seesaw ended in a spike to 84° on the 13th, a couple of weeks early for that high, and another burst of arrivals and good counts. The last third of the month was dominated by a set of slow-moving lows and persistent cool, cloudy weather. Adding to this was a mass of storms between us and the Gulf Coast. Few new migrants made it until the very last days of the month. Near Lake Ontario it still looked like March and blossoming trees were much delayed. May was a pleasant spring month with a taste of summer. Temperatures averaged 64.0°, 7.0° above normal. There were two record highs on the 8th and 9th which were the second earliest dates for back-to-back 90° days recorded locally. The 10th also brought a record high low temperature. In contrast, on the 23rd we had the latest freeze since 1956. Precipitation totaled 3.41", 0.54" above average, but of that 1.64" fell on the 30th-31st with most of the month dry. The weather systems far off to our southwest continued to block migrants for long stretches, with burst of arrivals during brief openings in that wall. Overall species diversity was good, with most expected species found at normal arrival dates and with totals for the months and year-to-date near their 10-year averages. However, peak numbers were relatively low for most species, and occurrences of migrant waves were spotty in both time and over the landscape. There were too many days with few birds to be found, and even when birders were excited by lots of birds in one lakeshore hotspot, just down the road the next spot was empty, and off the lakeshore birds were scarce most of the time. Moving right to the waterfowl, with snow, cold, and ice cover migration was slow. Snow Goose was an exception in this Region, with good numbers pushed into the Region more than usual by ice on the main Finger Lakes. Our best counts were in Genesee and Livingston Counties in late March and just into April. In the same time frame, a single Greater White-fronted Goose was found on Braddock Bay, at least 11 Ross’s Geese were scattered from Hamlin to Wayne County, a Ross’s x Snow Goose was in Hamlin, and approximately 21 Cackling Geese were found across the Region. In addition, Tundra Swan numbers were good, with a maximum of 535 in the Groveland Flats on 22 March. Interestingly, the departure date for virtually all of these species was 2 April, when the first burst of warmth arrived. To finish the goose part of the story, Brant was reported in only a very narrow window of 20-23 May, with the maximum reported only 40 and few reports from the Lake Ontario shore. With most of the inland waters still frozen, nearly all the interesting duck reports for March and most of April were from along the south shore of Lake Ontario and immediately adjacent bays. Arrivals were a bit late other than a male Eurasian Wigeon found by Mike Tetlow and seen by others in the Town of Hamlin on 21 March, tying last spring’s record early date. Eurasian Wigeon then continued at Braddock Bay, with a female on 28 March and a male from 30 March-4 April. A Green-winged “Eurasian/Common” Teal was also present at Braddock Bay on 28 March. Duck maxima, both puddle and diving, were generally low, with the exception of 950 Northern Pintail in Kendall, Orleans


County, on 20 March and then 2000 in the NMWMA on 19 April, when waterfowl numbers were finally building there. Generally it seemed that once the weather broke in April most waterfowl simply pushed through the Region rapidly. Numbers in May were very low except for a few good counts of Northern Pintail, Long-tailed Duck, and Red-breasted Merganser. Departures were average to early for most species. Interesting rarer species included King Eider and Barrow’s Goldeneye and a Common x Barrow’s Goldeneye present through mid-March. Among the other waterbirds, we have all the regular loons and grebes reported but no really large counts in historical context. On a positive note, Andy and Rich Guthrie found an adult Pacific Loon off Hamlin Beach SP on 26 April and Bill Howe located a cooperative alternate plumaged Eared Grebe on Hemlock Lake on 22 April that remained through the 28th. Among the waders, arrivals were normal to even a bit early, but numbers poor. The only rarity was Glossy Ibis, with one seen passing Hamlin Beach on 21 April by Andy Guthrie and another found on 8 May in the NMWMA by Jay McGowan, Livia Santana, and Bob McGuire. Black Vulture made it back on the list, with birds found at the Riga Landfill in March and in four scattered locations in early May, though there were none seen passing the hawkwatch. Turkey Vultures were present in good numbers all season, a good indicator of numbers being a new record day count of 6680 on 2 April at the Braddock Bay hawkwatch. The official counter at the hawkwatch this spring was Dave Tetlow. Daily tallies and some notes may be found online at www.hawkcount.org. As expected with the weather, March was slow and the bulk of the birds, 84% of the total, Turkey Vultures. The weather continued poor through most of April and especially late in the month when we normally look for the big flights of Broad-winged Hawks. Only five days in April totaled over 1000 birds of all species, the Broad-winged maximum was 7454 on the 21st, and at month’s end Turkey Vultures still outnumbered Broad-winged Hawks. The biggest day of the whole season was 21 April with just 8035 total birds. The highlights of the season were three dark morph adult Swainson’s Hawks, two on 10 April first spotted by Frank Nicoletti, one on 13 April photographed by Brian Morse, then a fourth, a light-morph second year bird, on 4 May. A table of the daily totals for all species is included below. The total count of 53,768 birds is near the long-term average. Away from the hawkwatch, highlights included four additional Northern Goshawks, though none in May, and about eight additional Golden Eagles. This spring there was less than usual effort toward counting the late, young Broad-winged Hawks and dispersing Bald Eagles, with weather again a major factor. A count of the Sandhill Cranes passing the hawkwatch was not kept, so we do not have numbers comparable with those of other recent years. But eBird and geneseebirds reports and posts indicate typical, substantial numbers. By season’s end there were also reports of the pair back in the NMWMA, Carncross Road


area. Hope remains for increased breeding in other areas, but there were few reports from the most likely sites this spring. The shorebird passage was very weak in both March and April, with none of the usual late March arrivals other than Killdeer, Wilson’s Snipe, and American Woodcock, and few additions until well into April. There were two clear highlights for the month, and even the spring, among the shorebirds. Two record early Long-billed Dowitchers found by Dave Tetlow in a field in the Town of Hamlin on 6 April remained to be seen, studied, and photographed by many through 12 April, and a State record high 17+ American Avocets passing Hamlin Beach SP on 21 April, unfortunately seen here only by Andy Guthrie, were likely a part of numbers of up to 24 seen toward the west end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Canada around that date. The shorebird picture improved a bit in May, with nearly all expected species reported, though habitat remained scarce in the Region and counts low. Highlights were a Regional high five “Western” Willets on Salmon Creek, Town of Greece on 6 May found by Dave Tetlow and seen and photographed by several others, with another Willet in Hamlin on 29 May; Sanderling, a species sometimes missed in spring, at both Hamlin Beach SP and Sodus Point; a fallout of 500-700 Semipalmated Sandpipers at Salmon Creek on 28 May; and a Wilson’s Phalarope in the Hogan Point area of Greece on 10 May. With the late opening of bays and ponds, there was no extended period with ice edges for gulls to gather on. Gull and tern numbers were generally unremarkable at best. Still, there is a surprising number of interesting records. In March we had decent numbers of Iceland, Lesser Black-backed, and Glaucous Gulls at several locations. There was a Thayer’s Gull seen off Rigney Bluff (T. of Greece) on 22 March by Jessie Barry and Chris Wood and another at Hamlin Beach on 22 May by Dave Tetlow, Andy Guthrie, and Bob Spahn. Given the weather, a Caspian Tern arriving on 31 March was a surprise. The winter gulls of March persisted in fair numbers through April to departure dates in late May. In April we added a decent number of Bonaparte’s Gulls, six adult Little Gulls; an amazing State record early Black Tern photographed at the ponds at the DEC office in Avon by Art Kirsch on 8 April; and reports of Forster’s Terns. In May, an adult Franklin’s Gull was seen at Ontario Beach Park (Charlotte) on the 7th by Ethan Gyllenhaal and Greg Lawrence. This season there was more interest in and reports of the owls than usual. This winter had a nice echo influx of Snowy Owls after last winter’s mega invasion. There were still at least 14 individuals observed at 10 locations through much of March, with a maximum of five at the Genesee County Airport near Batavia on 16 March. Then on 29 April in the Town of Gates Kim Sucy found a Snowy that lingered until 1 May, and finally Tom Smith and Bob Spahn found a different bird sitting on a drain structure in Hamlin Beach SP on 4 May. Short-eared Owls on the west side of the Region were monitored through the winter into spring by the DEC out of the Avon office led by Michael Palermo with the help of a group of volunteers conducting standard counts every two


weeks. The spring maximum was 17 owls on the 24 March count, and there were still four found on the 21 April count. A last bird was reported on 27 April in Caledonia by Mike Wasilco. The owl roost survey in the “Owl Woods” area along Manitou Beach Road produced counts of Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet Owls very near their 10-year averages. Jim Adams has produced a comprehensive report for the effort and arrivals; maxima, and departures are included in the species section below, all typical this year. An unexpected event was the finding of a Boreal Owl in that area on 9 May by owl counter Nancy Widger. Details provided were sufficient to accept this State record late report. Among the goatsuckers, Common Nighthawk numbers were up a bit, with a maximum of 107 in Greece on 24 May, and Eastern Whip-poor-will reports were typical of recent years. Chimney Swift and Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrived a bit early at the end of April, and the total of 53 hummingbirds banded at BBBO was down a bit from the past two springs. Red-headed Woodpecker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker are both usually reported during the winter, but spring arrivals this year of Red-headed at Hamlin Beach and sapsuckers generally were delayed into April. Month by month, the falcon reports remained typical of recent years, though there were some comments around American Kestrel being harder to find than usual. The passerines provide the biggest block of species and reports and most winter far south, so we await the arrivals of both transient migrants and breeding birds. This year weather to our southwest blocked new arrivals for long periods. Between that and local weather, we had almost no March arrivals—only Eastern Phoebe and Tree Swallow. A break and temperature spike into the 70s on 2 April brought a quick catch up and even some early new arrivals. This occurred again with a jump to 84° on the 13 April. Otherwise little happened until the very end of April and into early May. Only 11 species of warblers and two flycatchers had arrived by April’s end. The few warblers early relative to our old date guide all have been seen at even earlier dates in the intervening years. Numbers for all remained low, with an example being only Black-capped Chickadee and the two kinglet species banded in double digit numbers on any days in April. The early April burst did bring a few good counts by Ian Davies, Tim Lenz, and Brad Walker at Hamlin Beach SP on 2 April—21,732 American Robin, 7040 Red-winged Blackbird, 2500 Common Grackle, and 760 Brown-headed Cowbird. Late in the month a homeowner, Candy Giles, brought a surprise to the BBBO station, a photo of a Varied Thrush from her backyard in East Irondequoit. She kindly allowed birders to visit and from 26-28 April many had great looks and added more photos of this twelfth Regional record for the species. As we moved into May, when the weather blockage opened, the bursts of migrants continued to produce strange mixes of overdue arrivals with early birds. In the end we recorded essentially all of the expected passerines this spring. The only species missing were Kentucky Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Yellow-breasted Chat, all among the rarer expected species. On


the rarer side of those reported, we had two White-eyed Vireos, two Worm-eating Warblers, three Prothonotary Warblers, a Connecticut Warbler, four Prairie Warblers, four+ Clay-colored Sparrows, and a Yellow-headed Blackbird. Among other species many have been tracking for some time, there were six Golden-winged Warblers and 34 Orange-crowned Warblers, 18 banded and 16 others, very high for this latter species locally. Of special interest locally: the Fish Crows in the Ontario Beach Park area are doing well and there were reports from a few other locations; there were a few Monk Parakeet reports at the known site from 1-4 April; and there were no Eurasian Collared–Dove reports. The winter finch scene consisted of a few Common Redpoll and Pine Siskin reports through late May and a single report of one Pine Grosbeak on 19 April by Wade & Melissa Rowley, and an Evening Grosbeak at a Webster feeder 16-17 May by Peggy Mabb. Much of the passerine data, including many arrival dates and peak counts come from the Kaiser-Manitou passerine banding station operated by the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory. A quick look at the data shows that overall this spring’s total banded was similar to numbers for the past several years. Looking at individual species, one notices that the variance is high, and numbers over a period of years are consistent once that is recognized. Even some species following seesaw patterns are consistent, e.g., Black-capped Chickadee ranges from almost none banded to on the order of 1000 in alternating years. This year, an “up” year, yielded only 100. Yellow-bellied and “Traill’s” Flycatchers were up a bit, but Brown Creeper, Gray-cheeked Thrush, and Hermit Thrush were down a bit from expected. Birds like Golden-crowned Kinglet can be hard to assess as their peak can fall just before the station opens for the spring. Cedar Waxwing seemed almost totally missing until 719 were counted at Hamlin Beach on 24 May but essentially none were banded. Spring is always interesting and there is lots of accessible data to search for information of personal interest. The BBBO daily banding tables are online on their website. Generally, it is difficult to try to portray some idea of numbers. For most passerine species, most of the reports are of small numbers, with occasional double digit counts when someone takes the time to watch and record for a bit. The problem is that one does not know the level of aggregation related to a count without digging in to the details of time spent counting and geographic area covered, and skill and attention to the task by the observer. In the species section below, I have tried to list a few maxima as illustrations. One can see that by choosing a good date during migration and taking the time to count for a bit some large, almost amazing, numbers can be tallied. But if one does standard counts, like Breeding Bird Surveys, and becomes aware of the totals for common species over a set of 3-minute counts, the bigger numbers become less amazing, and one begins to think about how to induce more to take the time to do a few counts. Overall for the season, we had about 90,291 eBird records and about 10% more, different geneseebirds records plus the data from the hawkwatch and


BBBO and personal inputs from others. Species for the month and total species for the year to date for the three months are: March – 133 and 146; April – 198 and 211; and May – 234 and 268; vs. their 10-year averages: March – 138.0 and 152.1; April – 192.9 and 208.3; and May – 231.8 and 263.1.

Braddock Bay Hawkwatch Totals Species Arrival Max Max Date Total Turkey Vulture 9 Mar 6680 2 Apr 24312 Osprey 2 Apr 29 10 Apr 213 Bald Eagle 6 Mar 72 9 May 521 N. Harrier 15 Mar 78 10 Apr 511 Sharp-sh. Hawk 10 Mar 1107 10 Apr 3697 Cooper’s Hawk 7 Mar 121 2 Apr 388 N. Goshawk 21 Mar 2 13 Apr 7 Red-shld Hawk 13 Mar 116 2 Apr 366 Swainson’s Hawk 10 Apr 2 10 Apr 4 Broad-wngd Hawk 12 Apr 7454 21 Apr 20421 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Mar 603 10 Apr 2817 Rough-legd Hawk 11 Mar 46 10 Apr 152 GoldenEagle 20 Mar 5 21 Apr 31 Am. Kestrel 16 Mar 70 10 Apr 285 Merlin 13 Mar 3 25 Mar 23 Peregrine Falcon 10 Mar 4 9 May 18 Total including unidentified raptors: 53,768

CONTRIBUTORS Jim Adams, Janet Akin, Terri Armata, BBBO (Elizabeth Brooks, et al.), John Ballou, John Banks, Ted Barnett, Jessie Barry, Jim & Liz Barry, Mitchell Barry, Sue Barth, Bob Beal, Doug Beattie, Don Bemont, Steven Benedict & Linda Clark-Benedict, Mike Bergin, Lynn Bergmeyer, Barry Bermudez, Steve Bremner, Brenda Best, John Boettcher, George Briggs, Robert Buckert, Robert Burack, Kris Byrd, Bruce Cady (BCd), Doug Cameron (DCm), Brad Carlson (BCl), Jim Carpenter, Gary Caryk, Mark Chao, Jim Cleveland, Kelly Close, Clyde Comstock, Sarah Compter, Andrew Consler, Lisa Cook, Charlie Cowling, Kathleen Dalton, Doug Daniels, Willie D’Anna, Ian Davies, Laura Dirkx, Robert Dobson, Crystal Doyle, Joe Fell, Daena Ford, George Ford, Drew Fowler, Kurt Fox, Wayne Fidler, Kenny Frisch, Kyle Gage, Cathy Gardner, Andy Garland, Chris Gates, Candy Giles, David Gordon, Charles Goulet, Sheryl Gracewski, Jay Greenberg, Kevin Griffith, William Gruenbaum, Ralph & Georgia Guenther, Michael Gullo, Judy Gurley, Andrew Guthrie, Chris Guthrie, Rich Guthrie, Anita Gwara, Ethan Gyllenhaal, Robert Haggett, Helen & Chris Haller, Kathy Hapgood, Dave & Vanna Harding, David Harrison, Eleanor Hartquist, Kim Hartquist, Jim & Allison Healy, Susan Heffner, Wesley Hochachka, Jennalee Holzschuh, Dick Horsey, Bill Howe, Carolyn Jacobs, Nicholas Kachala, Laura Kammermeier, Ryan Kayhart, Tom Kerr, Brian Keyes, Jim Kimball, Arthur & Kathy Kirsch, J. Gary Kohlenberg, Kevin Koss, Stuart Krasnoff, Elijah Kruger, Chris Lajewski, Tom Lathrop, Leona Lauster, Greg Lawrence, Tim Lenz, Joan & Vern Lindberg, Peggy Mabb, Peggy Macres, Mark Magistro, Mary Magistro, Bill Maier, James Maley, Cindy Marino, Melissa Mance-Coniglio, June & Glenn Martin, Pat Martin, Lauri Mattle, Ben McGann, Kevin McGann, Jay McGowan, Kevin McGowan, Bob


McGuire, Chita McKinney, Matthew Medler, Jim Miles, Mike Morgante, Celeste Morien, Brian & Brooke Morse, Roy Morris, Allen Nash, Ann Nash, Tom Nash, Michelle Nelligan, Frank Nicoletti, Dave Nicosia, Dave Nutter, Joe Oddi, Sue O’Neill, Joe Osiovitch, Michael Palermo, Andrea Patterson, Shelly Patterson, Jim Pawlicki, Norma Platt, Joe Podoliak, Betsy Potter, Jay Powell, Dave Prill, Bill Purcell, RBA Field Trips, RBA/BOS Field Trip, Carolyn Ragan, Thomas Riley Dave Robertson, Sue Robertson, Dick & Dorothy Rosche, Michele Rosenbaum, Wade & Melissa Rowley, Jesse Rubenstein, Jennifer Rycenga, Kathy Schneider, Scott Salber, Andrew Sammarco, Livia Santana, Michael Scheibel, Zaphir Shamma, Shirley Shaw, Dominic Sherony, David Sibley, Judy Slein, Tom & Pat Smith, Robert & Susan Spahn, Dave Spier, Chris Stanger, Joe Stevenson, Kimberly Sucy, Jim Tarolli, Steve Taylor, David Tetlow, Mike & Joann Tetlow, Mary Jane Thomas, Rick Thomas, Peter Thompson, Luke Tiller, Brian Tuttle, Alison Van Keuren, Lee Ann van Leer, Tom & Jeanne Verhulst, Matthew Voelker, Brad Walker, Mike Wasilco, Dan Watkins, Ann Watson, Bridget Watts, Drew Weber, Dave Wheeler, Kinsley Whittum, Nancy Widger, Joe Wing, Aaron Winters, Chris Wood, Dan Young. [In addition there were over 200 other contributors to eBird.]

ABBREVIATIONS

b – indicates banded this season, usually at BBBO’s Kaiser-Manitou passerine banding station; BB – Braddock Bay, MONR; BB-WS – West Spit of Braddock Bay; BBBO – Braddock Bay Bird Observatory; ConL – Conesus L, LIVI; ED – off Edgemere Dr., T Greece, MONR; G – T Greece, MONR; H – T Hamlin, MONR; HANA – High Acres Nature Area, MONR; HB – Hamlin Beach SP, MONR; ICW – Island Cottage Woods, T Greece, MONR; IBO – Irondequoit Bay Outlet to Lake Ontario; LSP – Letchworth SP; M – Manitou Beach area, MONR; MP – Mendon Ponds P, MONR; NMWMA – Northern Montezuma WMA, T of Savannah, WAYN; NMWMA (AR) – north side of Armitage Rd.; NMWMA (CR) – along Carncross Rd. east of Savannah-Spring Lake Rd.; NMWMA (VDS) – area along Van Dyne Spoor, T Savannah, WAYN; NMWMA (SCU) – Sandhill Crane Unit, T Savannah, WAYN; OB – Ontario Beach P, Charlotte, MONR; OCP – Oatka Creek P, MONR; SB – Sodus Bay, WAYN; SC – Salmon Creek , T Greece MONR; SPt – Sodus Pt, WAYN; TCEA – Twin Cedars Environmental Area, T Avon, LIVI; W – T of Webster, MONR.

WHISTLING-DUCKS – VULTURES Greater White-fronted Goose: arr BB 29 Mar (JeB, Ji), only report. Snow Goose: 10000 ConL 22 Mar (AC); max 20000 T Byron GENE 28 Mar (GL, JPod); 4880 Broadway Rd WAYN 2 Apr; last 1 NMWMA (CR) 21 May (MG). Ross’s Goose: arr 2 H 14-20 Mar H 20-21 Mar (A&CGu, KS); Cranberry Pd Greece 21 Mar (NK); 3 T Lyons WAYN 21 Mar (W&MR); T Lyons 24 Mar (JW); H 30 Mar (AGu); 2 Macedon WAYN 30 Mar (JW, ph); max 4 H 2 Apr (AGu); HB 2 Apr (AGu, ID, BWlk); 2 Broadway Rd WAYN 2 Apr (DF, W&MR); last date 2 Apr with first warm spike in Reg. Ross.s x Snow Goose: 1 H 2 Apr (AGu);

Brant: arr 40 NMWMA (AR) 20 May MG); last 5 off Greece 23 May. Cackling Goose: total approx 21 many loc 17-29 Mar; max 6 BB 19 Mar (CW); last 2 HB 2 Apr & 1T Parma MONR 2 Apr. Canada Goose: max 22,500 H 26 Mar (AGu). Trumpeter Swan: max 14 NMWMA (VDS) 23 Apr (DSi); fewer reports across Reg than in recent years. Tundra Swan: max 535 Groveland Flats 22 Mar (DBea); 232 BB 30 Mar (BriM), high for loc; last 2 H 25 Apr. Wood Duck: arr Henrietta 6 Mar. Gadwall: arr 4 Caledonia 3 Mar; max 103 BB 4 Apr. Eurasian Wigeon: arr 1m H (Moscow Rd) 21 Mar (MT, mob), ties Reg record early; 1f BB


28 Mar (AGu, mob); 1 m BB 30-31 Mar – 4 Apr (BriM, ph, mob). Am. Wigeon: arr 4-16 sev loc 10 Mar; max 180 BB 28 Mar, low; last Greece 25 May. Am. Black Duck: max 50 Port Byron WAYN 11 Apr, very low. Blue-winged Teal: arr H 21 Mar. N. Shoveler: arr Greece (Long Pd) 10 Mar; last 2 SC 28 May. N. Pintail: arr 4 IBO 10 Mar; 950 Kendall 20 Mar (R&SS); max 2000 NMWMA (VDS) 19 Apr (JMc, LS); last 2 NMWMA (CR) 21 May (MG), late. Green-winged Teal: arr 2 IBO 10 Mar; last 15 NMWMA (VDS) 20 May. GREEN-WINGED “EURASIAN” TEAL: 1 BB 28 Mar (Ji, Je, & MB). Canvasback: max 62 SB 16 Mar, low; last 1 HB 26 Apr, early last rep. Redhead: max 160 ConL 2 Apr; last 2 Burger P, Greece & 14 NMWMA (SCU) 2 May. Ring-necked Duck: max 350 Burger P, Greece 4 Apr; last 2 SC 6 May. Greater Scaup: max 900 Rigney Bluff, Greece 1 Mar; last 2 BB 18 May. Lesser Scaup: max 234 BB 4 Apr; last SPt 29 May. King Eider: 1 ad m Genesee River mouth 9 Mar (RS); last 1 ad m off Greece 19-21 Mar (KG, JeB, CW). Surf Scoter: last 1 HB 1 May (AGu), early departure. Long-tailed Duck: max 800 Rigney Bluff, Greece 1 Mar; 483 HB 21 May (AGu), late for so many. Bufflehead: last HB 25 May. Com. Goldeneye: last 2 ED 9 May. Barrow’s Goldeneye: 1 m SPt 16-19 Mar (sev); 1 m Pt Breeze 1-24 Mar AGu, ASa, DBea) COM. X BARROW’S GOLDENEYE: 1 m SPt 1-19 Mar (JW, ph, mob). Com. Merganser: max 175 Buck Pd, Greece 6 Apr. Red-breasted Merganser: max 1078 HB 3 May (RS). Ruddy Duck: arr SPt 13 Mar; last 2 NMWMA (VDS) 20 May, may be related to draining of Montezuma NWR main pool where species sometimes nests. Red-throated Loon: max 16 HB 23 Apr, low; last HB 30 May (AGu), late. PACIFIC LOON: 1 ad HB 26 Apr (AGu, RGu). Com. Loon: max 148 HB 26 Apr (AGu, RGu), low.

Pied-billed Grebe: arr IBO & Summerville Pier 13 Mar. Horned Grebe: max 46 HB 26 Apr, low; last 3 OB 7 May. Red-necked Grebe: max 154 HB 5 Apr, low; last 1 HB 21 May. EARED GREBE (R2): 1 ad Hemlock L 22-28 Apr (BH, ph, mob). Double-crested Cormorant: arr ED 29 Mar; max 450 Pt Breeze 9 May (GL). Least Bittern: arr BB 26 Apr (GL), early. Great Egret: arr Buck Pd, Greece 3 Apr. Green Heron: arr Burger P, Greece & HANA 25 Apr. Black-crowned Night-Heron: arr H 2 Apr Glossy Ibis: H 21 Apr (AGu); NMWMA (CR) 8 May (JMc, LS, BMc).

HAWKS – LARIDS

Black Vulture: 2 Riga Landfill 12 Mar (BriM); 4 Eva & Harlan Braman Pres MONR 2 Apr (KH); Bear Crk Harbor WAYN 4 Apr (JW); LSP 7 Apr (EK); WAYN/MONR Line 9 Apr (J&GM). Turkey Vulture: max 6680 BB 2 Apr (DT, et al.), Reg record high. Osprey: arr 2 BB 26 Mar (PM). Bald Eagle: 19 BB +76 others many loc Mar; 145 BB + approx. 110 other many loc Apr; 357 BB + approx. 106 other many loc May. N. Goshawk: approx 4 rep away from BB Mar & Apr; no reports including BB May. Broad-winged Hawk: arr 1 Frisbee Hill & 126 Broadway Rd WAYN 12 Apr; ma 7454 BB 21 Apr (DT, et al.), low max. SWAINSON’S HAWK: 2 drk ad BB 10 Apr (FN, et al.); 1 drk ad BB 13 Apr (DT, ph BriM); 1 BB 4 May (DT). Rough-legged Hawk: last BB & Rochester 9 May. Golden Eagle: arr BB 20 Mar; approx 8 rep away from BB 21 Mar-30 Apr; last BB 9 May. Sandhill Crane: arr H 13 Mar (KS); 38 rep of 39+ ind many loc Apr. AM. AVOCET (R2): 17+ HBSP 21 Apr (AGu), State record high. Black-bellied Plover: arr NMWMA (CR) 8 May; last 2-3 NMWMA (CR) 31 May. Solitary Sandpiper: arr south Caledonia 30 Apr; last 2 Spring Farm WAYN 23 May. Greater Yellowlegs: max 90 NMWMA (CR) 24 Apr (JMc, LS). Willet: 5 SC 6 May (DT, RS, ph KH, mob), Reg record high; 1 HB 29 May (RS). Lesser Yellowlegs: arr 2 SC 17 Apr; last SC 28 May.


Upland Sandpiper: no reports. Whimbrel: SPt 28 May (MG), only report. Ruddy Turnstone: arr SPt 16 May. Sanderling: arr HB 24 May (CW); 5 other rep 28-31 May, sometimes missed in spring. Dunlin: arr sev loc 12 Apr; max 45 NMWMA (CR) 16 May, low. Least Sandpiper: arr H 3 May; max 40 NMWMA (CR) 8 May, low. White-rumped Sandpiper: arr 2 Groveland Flats LIVI 12 May (KC). Pectoral Sandpiper: arr 2 T Savannah WAYN 11 Apr. Semipalmated Sandpiper: max 500-700 NMWMA (CR) 28 May (AGu, PM, KG). Short-billed Dowitcher: arr 1-3 SC 10 May; max 10 NMWMA (VDS) (W&MR). Long-billed Dowitcher: 2 H 6-12 Apr (DT, mob, ph), Reg record early. Wilson’s Phalarope: 1 f Hogan Pt Greece 10 May (mob). Bonaparte’s Gull: arr sev loc 29 Mar, late arrival; max 500 Geneseo 27 Apr (KMcGa), odd loc for number. Little Gull: arr 1 ad BB 4-5 Apr (mob); 1 ED 19 Apr (JeB); 1 ad Bear Crk Harbor WAYN 19 Apr (ph JW); 1 ad HB 20 Apr (AGu); 1 ad off Cranberry Pd Greece 26 (RBuc): 1 ad HB 28 Apr (R&SS). FRANKLIN’S GULL (R2): 1 ad OB 7 May (EG, GL). THAYER’S GULL: Rigney’s Bluff Greece 22 Mar (JeB, CW); 3rd cyc HB 22 May (DT, ph AGu, RS). Iceland Gull: 11 rep, 10 ind sev loc 4-29 Mar; approx. 16 sev loc Apr; total 5 sev loc 1-12 May; last 1 HB 24 May (CW). Lesser Black-backed Gull: 8 rep, 8 ind sev loc 11-28 Mar; approx 19 Apr; max 5 Cranberry Pd Greece 2 Apr (GL); approx 12 sev loc 3-24 May. Glaucous Gull: 12 rep, 12 ind many loc 4-27 Mar; approx 11 sev loc 2-7 Apr; 4 total sev loc 1-21 May; last HP 24 May (AGu, B&BM, CW). Caspian Tern: arr 1 BB 31 Mar (DH), early; max 60 SB 25 May (LL). Black Tern: arr TCEA 8 Apr (AKi, ph), State record early Com. Tern: arr Cranberry Pond, Greece 12 Apr (GL). Forster’s Tern: arr BB 14 Apr (JRy); last BB 24 May (CW).

PIGEONS – PARROTS EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE: No reps. Yellow-billed Cuckoo: arr Rochester 9 May.

Snowy Owl: approx 14 at 10 loc Mar; max 5 Genesee County Airport Batavia 16 Mar; T Gates MONR 29 Apr-1 May (ph KS); last HB 4 May (TS, RS). Long-eared Owl: total roost count 37 M (Owl Woods) 21 Mar – 30 Apr, intro; max 7 M (Owl Woods) 11 Apr. Short-eared Owl: max 17 DEC SEOW Survey 24 Mar, data from M. Palermo, intro; last Caledonia 27 Apr (MW). N. Saw-whet Owl: arr South Conesus 16 Mar; total roost count 29 M (Owl Woods) 19 Mar – 18 Apr, intro; max 4 M (Owl Woods) 22 Mar & 5 Apr. Com. Nighthawk: arr T Rush MONR 9 May; max 107 Greece 24 May (KG), good count. E. Whip-poor-will: arr 2 M (Owl Woods) 29 Apr (JRy, PMac); 1-4 M (Owl Woods) 4, 7, 8 May (sev); last M (Owl Woods) 24 May (CW), late for recent years. Chimney Swift: arr 1-4 sev loc 29 Apr. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr N Rush 30 Apr (NK); total b 53 M 5-29 May (BBBO). Red-headed Woodpecker: Stafford GENE 8 Mar (DBea), new loc; Merlin: 16 rep, 20 ind sev loc 8-30 Mar; total 8 incl hawkwatch 10-29 Apr; total incl hawkwatch 20 sev loc May; no reports of nesting in Reg. Peregrine Falcon: 4 rep, 4 ind sev loc 13-21 Mar; total 5 ind incl hawkwatch 13-29 Apr; total 24 ind incl hawkwatch May; nesting in downtown Rochester normal, see posts rfalconcam website. MONK PARAKEET: 1 West Ridge Plaza Greece 1-4 Apr (JW, ID, TL, BWlk, NK).

FLYCATCHERS – WAXWINGS Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr Casey P WAYN 13 May (JW); Cobbs Hill P 16 May (CMa); HB 17 May (AGu, MMe); MP 21 May (NK); Rush Oak Openings 25 May (MBe); Badgerow P 26 May (KS, mob, ph); good showing. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr 1 Firehouse Woods, Greece 14 May; total b 47 M 15 May thru. Acadian Flycatcher: arr Huckleberry Swamp WAYN 24 May, late. “Traill’s” Flycatcher: arr 1b M 5 May, early; max b 31 M 27 May; total b 135 M 5 May thru. Great Crested Flycatcher: arr T Gates 27 Apr (BriM). E. Kingbird: arr T Lima LIVI 30 Apr (CaG). N. Shrike: 10 rep, 10 ind Mar; last Doran & Town Line Rd T Richmond ONTA 7 Apr (BH).


PHOTO GALLERY Spring 2015

Blue Jay, Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar, Albany, 28 Mar 2015, © Scott Stoner.


Crested Caracara, Montogmery, Orange, 15 Apr 2015, © Donna L. Schulman.


Crested Caracara, Montgomery, Orange; top: 10 Apr 2015, © Sean Sime; bottom: 12 Apr 2015, © Curt McDermott.


Little Egret, Bay Shore, Suffolk, 20 May 2015, © Peter Morris. See article about the discovery of this long-anticipated first record for New York State, pp. 188-190.


Little Egret, Bay Shore, Suffolk, 20 May 2015, © Derek Rogers.


Franklin’s Gull, Plum Beach, Kings, 28 May 2015, © Peter Post.


Yellow-throated Warbler, Valley Stream SP, Nassau, 6 Apr 2015, © Mike Vedder.

Western Tanager, Prospect Park, Kings, 12 May 2015, © Shane Blodgett.


Merlins have been expanding their breeding range in New York State. John Confer et al. studied seven nests in and around Ithaca, Tompkins, during 2015 (see article, pp. 176-183). Figure 1 (top). A rainy first day for fledging the Titus nest, 27 Jun 2015. Figure 2 (bottom). The tawny-breasted female from the Briarwood nest, which fledged four young in 2015.


White-eyed Vireo: 1 Firehouse Woods, T Greece 24 May (ST); BB – West Spit 24 May (ST); rare Blue-headed Vireo: arr HHSpencer SRA ONTA 19 Apr (DD). Warbling Vireo: arr T Henrietta MONR 28 Apr (MW). Philadelphia Vireo: arr Tinker Nature P 9 May; last 1b M 25 May, early for last. Red-eyed Vireo: arr OCP 30 Apr (JAd); total b 52 M 30 Apr – 31 May; max 33 HHSpencer SRA ONTA 25 May, indicative of forest numbers. Blue Jay: max 2000 BB-WS 4 May (BriM), only modest max. Am. Crow: max 2025 LIVI 8 Mar (SSh), low max. Fish Crow: 1- 10 Charlotte area thru; 1 BB 13 Apr; 1-4 M 2-4 May (RK, AVK); 9 BB-West Spit 4 May (BriM); x & y HB 18 May (BriM); 1 Webster 22 May (PMab, PMar); 2 HB 29 May (RS); IBO 30 May (B&BM). Purple Martin: arr 3 Batavia & 1 ED 4 Apr (DBea & JiB); max 150 Batavia 25 May (DBea). Tree Swallow: arr 1 SPt 20 Mar (MG); max 400 ConL Inlet 23 Apr. N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr 1 Irondequoit Bay P West 2 Apr (AGa), early; max 110 ConL Inlet 23 Apr (DBea). Bank Swallow: max 300 ED 22 May (CW). Black-capped Chickadee: total b 100 M 18 Apr – 17 May, not many for an “up” year. Winter Wren: arr 2 ICW 2 Apr; low this season. SEDGE WREN (R2): 1 NMWMA (CR) 13 May (fide DWh), only report Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: arr BB – West Spit 13 Apr (PMar). Golden-crowned Kinglet: max 18 M (Owl Woods) 11 Apr, low. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: arr 6 Batavia 11 Apr; max b 56 M 8 May; total b 366 M 18 Apr-18 May; last 1 MP 24 May. Gray-cheeked Thrush: arr 1 Webster 10 May; total b 10 M 12-26 May, very low. Gray-cheeked/Bicknell’s Thrush: 1b M 26 May, only one banded. Swainson’s Thrush: arr 3 Webster & 1 H 7 May; max b M 25 May; total b 106 M 8-30 May. Hermit Thrush: Whiting Road Nature preserve 2 Mar, winter; arr M (Owl Woods) 6 Apr; total b 28 18 Apr – 12 May. Am. Robin: max 21,572 HB 2 Apr (ID, TL, BWlk), high count.

VARIED THRUSH: East Irondequoit 26-28 Apr (ph CGi, mob, ph), 12th Reg record, CGi and neighbors allowed birders access to yards to view. Gray Catbird: total b 377 M 2-30 May. Am. Pipit: arr 1 HB 11 Mar; max 120 H 7 Apr; last 1 HB 25 May. Cedar Waxwing: max 719 HB 24 May; 311 BB – West Spit 25 May (JeB, CW).

LONGSPURS – WARBLERS Lapland Longspur: last H 20 Apr. Snow Bunting: max 120 GENE 5 Mar; last B 2 Apr. Ovenbird: arr 2 loc T Canadice ONTA 3 May. Worm-eating Warbler: Marrowback Hill Rd ONTA 4 May (KKo); Church Trail, Greece 15 May (KFr). Louisiana Waterthrush: arr 1 Canadice Lake ONTA 19 Apr. N. Waterthrush: total b 54 M 30 Apr-28 May. Golden-winged Warbler: arr 1b M & 1 U of Rochester 4 May, singles also b 7 & 11 May; 1 Firehouse Woods, Greece 7, 11 May; HB-Yanty Crk 11 May; 1-2 N Wolcott WAYN 14 May thru (W&MR, et al.). Blue-winged Warbler: arr 1 M 3 May (RK). “Brewster’s” Warbler: BB – West Spit 4, 8 May (PMar, BCL, AGu); 1b M 10 May. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (R2): arr NMWMA (AR) 7 May thru (JGK, mob); Church Trail, Greece 17 May (GF); 1b M 22 May. Tennessee Warbler: total b 53 M 8-29 May. Orange-crowned Warbler: arr 2b M 4 May; total b 18 M 4-29 May; 16 others sev loc 6-25 May (mob); huge number for spring here. Nashville Warbler: total b 57 M 3-28 May. Connecticut Warbler: Webster 13 May (R&SS), singing, only report, Mourning Warbler: arr 1 sev loc 10 May; total b 35 M 10-30 May. Com. Yellowthroat: arr T Portage LIVI 20 Apr (AWa), very early; total b 169 M 6-30 May. Hooded Warbler: arr 1b M 4 May. Am. Redstart: max b 37 M 16 May; total b 237 M 7-30 May; abundant this spring. Cape May Warbler: arr sev loc 4 May; last Firehouse Woods, Greece & HB 24 May. Cerulean Warbler: arr LSP 5 May (Awa); found in expected sites. N. Parula: arr Durand-Eastman P, Rochester 22 Apr (PMar), early; last OCP 29 May (JAd). Magnolia Warbler: max b 60 M 16 May; total b 368 M 7-29 May.


Yellow Warbler: arr 2 TCEA 22 Apr (KKi), very early; max b 15 M 9 May; total b 157 M 3-30 May; max 100 MP 18 May (PMar); 1038 eBird “records” in just May, abundant as usual. Chestnut-sided Warbler: total b 77 M 4-30 May. Blackpoll Warbler: total b 50 M 10-30 May. Black-throated Blue Warbler: total b 87 M 4-30 May. Palm Warbler: arr 1 Burger P, Greece 25 May (KH); 1b “Yellow” Palm M 25 Apr, only “Yellow” Palm for season; total b 138 M 25 Apr-18 May; max b 22 M 10 May; last Northampton P 27 May (DB). Pine Warbler: arr Rochester (AGa) & Ontario County P (DD) 6 Apr, early. Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr Church Trail, Greece & South Conesus 12 Apr, late arr; max 82 BB-East Spit 4 May (BW); total b 134 M 21 Apr-21 May; max b 62 M 10 May. Prairie Warbler: arr Canadice Lake Rd ONTA 30 Apr (ST), early; Nunda LIVI 4 May (KB); HH Spencer P- S 17 Mat (KKi); Broadway Rd, T Wolcott WAYN 19 May (TR). Black-throated Green Warbler: arr four Mile Crk Pres, Webster 16 Apr (PMar, JMi), very early. Canada Warbler: total b 46 M 7-29 May. Wilson’s Warbler: arr Conesus Inlet Marsh 5 May (MW), early; total b 113 M 9-30 May.

TOWHEES – WEAVERS Am. Tree Sparrow: last Honeoye Falls 2 May (BCl). Clay-colored Sparrow: arr North Rush 9 May (ph NK); 5 rep H (Cook Rd) 11-24 May, known nesting area; Henrietta 13-18 May (SRo, PMar, JPow, ph CS); HB 18 May (ph BriM).

Vesper Sparrow: arr BB - West Spit 11 Apr, late arr. Grasshopper Sparrow: arr Sandy Bottom P ONTA 28 Apr (GL). Fox Sparrow: arr sev loc 2 Apr; last 1b M 3 May; no high counts reported. Lincoln’s Sparrow: last sev loc 25 May. White-throated Sparrow: total b 114 M 18 Apr-24 May, low; last 1b M 24 May. White-crowned Sparrow: last HB & 1b M 29 May, often found into June. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: arr m & f Dalton LIVI 22Apr (JCl), early; max 34 BB-West Spit 9 May (AGa), good count. Red-winged Blackbird: max 7040 HB 2 Apr (ID, TL, BWlk). E. Meadowlark: arr IBO 21 Mar; max 20 HB 2 Apr. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: Henrietta (Lehigh Valley Trail) 6-8 Mar (BCl, CS, et al.). Rusty Blackbird: arr 20 Greece 20 Mar; max 65 HB 2 Apr, low max; last 2 ICW 15 May. Com. Grackle: max 2500 Macedon WAYN 29 Mar (JPow) & HB 2 Apr (ID, TL, BWlk). Brown-headed Cowbird: max 760 HB 2 Apr (ID, TL, BWlk). Orchard Oriole: arr Highland P Rochester & Webster 3 May. Baltimore Oriole: arr Lima 30 Apr; max 57-64 BB – West Spit 8-9 May (BCL, AGu, AGa). Pine Grosbeak: 1 T Savannah WAYN 19 Apr (W&MR), only report. Com. Redpoll: max 120 H 3 Mar (AGu); last E Palmyra WAYN 19 Apr. Pine Siskin: max 209 HB 24 May (CW). Evening Grosbeak: 1Webster 16-17 Apr (PMab), only report.

===

REGION 3—FINGER LAKES

Bill Ostrander 80 Westmont Ave., Elmira, NY 14905

[email protected] Following a record cold winter, spring 2015 continued cold in March, warmed to normal in April, and continued the warming trend to produce a warmer than normal May. The average low temperature in March in Ithaca was 18° F, 5° less than normal. The average high that month was 35°, 7° colder than normal. The


average low in April was normal at 34° and the average high was 55°, just one degree below normal. May had an average low of 50°, 6° above normal. The average high was 74°, 7° above normal. In spite of the cold beginning of the season, migrating species of waterfowl staged earlier than normal arrivals. Several waterfowl species had high maximum counts: Cackling Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Gadwall, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Loon, Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, and Double-crested Cormorants. Unfortunately, the rigors of winter left the carcasses of many geese, swans, and ducks on the Region’s lakes. An Eared Grebe was again present in Aurora Bay, Cayuga Lake. American Bittern and Green Heron arrived earlier than usual. The maximum count of 20 Black-crowned Night-Herons was high for spring. A Glossy Ibis appeared at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge for a few days in May. Ospreys arrived on time this year. Individual Black Vultures passed through Ithaca in late March. The counts of 120 Turkey Vultures over Ithaca and 33 Bald Eagles at Montezuma NWR were Regional highs for spring. Virginia Rail and Common Gallinule both arrived earlier than normal. Maximum counts for Virginia Rail at Queen Catharine Marsh and for Common Gallinule and Sandhill Crane at Montezuma NWR were all high. Shorebirds generally arrived late or within a few days of average. A Whimbrel showed up at Montezuma NWR and stayed long enough for several birders to observe it. A few days later, a rare-in-spring American Golden-Plover appeared at Montezuma. Shorebirds with high maximum counts included 600 Semipalmated Plovers, 121 Greater Yellowlegs, 3000 Dunlin, 3000 Least Sandpipers, 546 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 31 Wilson’s Snipe, and five Wilson’s Phalaropes, all at Montezuma NWR. Caspian and Common Terns arrived quite early as they did the previous year. Black Tern arrived late. Rare gulls in the Region were four Little Gulls on Cayuga Lake and a Thayer’s Gull at the compost piles near Reynolds State Game Farm. Cuckoos were present in good numbers, and the 11 found together in Northeast Ithaca was an unusually high count. The count of four Snowy Owls in early April in the Town of Seneca Falls was remarkable. Detection of two migrating Eastern Whip-poor-wills in Tompkins County in May gives hope that the species might someday return as breeders. Five cool days in late April may have been responsible for the late arrival of Chimney Swifts. Merlins were again nesting in the Ithaca area. While pewees and phoebes arrived a little late, empids generally arrived early. Blue-headed and Warbling Vireos arrived early, but Yellow-throated and Red-eyed arrivals were about normal. Jay McGowan and Livia Santana found a White-eyed Vireo at Montezuma NWR. Estimates of 2,000 American Crows, 50 Northern Rough-winged Swallows, and 60 Purple Martins were all high spring counts for the Region. All swallow species arrived early.


House and Marsh Wrens arrived late, perhaps because of the late April cold spell that appeared to delay the Chimney Swifts. Ruby-crowned Kinglets arrived late. Thrushes arrived on normal dates after the cold snap. Gray Catbirds, due to arrive during the cold snap, also arrived late. Bob McGuire reported the only Bohemian Waxwing. A few Lapland Longspurs were found in two locations in southern Cayuga County on 8 March. Early arriving warblers were Blackburnian, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, and Mourning. Late arriving warblers were Black-throated Green, Pine, Palm, and Ovenbird, all species with normal arrival dates in April. This season produced high counts for Black-and-white, Pine, and Black-throated Green Warblers. Chipping, Savannah, and White-crowned Sparrows were early. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Eastern Towhees were late. Bobolinks and Baltimore Orioles were late. The count of 2700 Brown-headed Cowbirds in Queen Catharine Marsh was high. Rarities for the season included Clay-colored Sparrows at Cornell and at Knox-Marcellus Marsh, a Yellow-headed Blackbird in the Town of Springport, White-winged Crossbill in the Town of Enfield, and Evening Grosbeaks in the Town of Dryden and in Breesport.

CONTRIBUTORS Judy Abrams, Janet Akin, Michael Andersen, Dennis Anderson, Gustave Axelson, Evan Barnard, Ben Barkley, Jessie Barry, Daniel Bednarek, Liam Berigan, Wes Blauvelt, Phillip Bonn, Joseph Brin, M Brown, William Buskirk, J. Button, Donna Carter, Josh Cerra, Ethan Chaffee, Mark Chao, Ethan Chaffee, Nancy Chen, Edward Clark, Benjamin Clock, Chris Dalton, Doug Daniels, Susan Danskin, Abby Darrah, Gregg Dashnau, Michael David, Ian Davies, Larry Draper, Andrew Dreelin, Sarah Dzielski, William Earley, Eduardo Inigo Elias, Susan Elliott, Nathan Fawcett, Martha Fischer, John & Molly Fitzpatrick, Lauren Flesher, Brendan Fogarty, Benjamin & Alexandra Class Freeman, Myron Frost, Ozzerina Gall, Gretchen Gary, Jeff Gerbracht, Julia Gillis, Lindsay Glasner, Nathan Goldberg, Menachem Goldstein, Leo Gordona, William Gruenbaum, Andrew Guthrie, Scott Haber, Timothy Healy, Sheila Hernandez, Virginia Howick, Jim Hoyt, W. Larry Hymes, IBA monitoring, Marshall Iliff, Carolyn Jacobs, Barbara Jacobs-Smith, Andy Johnson, Brooke Keeney, Steve Kelling, Kenneth Kemphues, Dave Kennedy, David King, J Gary Kohlenberg, Stuart Krasnoff, Jen Kuhn, Chris Lajewski, Tim Lenz, Garrett MacDonald, Eva Matthews, Ben McGann, Jay McGowan, Kevin McGowan, Bob McGuire, Matthew Medler, Ann Mitchell, Diane Morton, Cody Nelson, David Nicosia, Dave Nutter, Tyler Olson, Barbara Oplinger, James Osborn, Bill Ostrander, Jay Powell, Mike Powers, James Purcell, Fred Rimmel, Ken Rosenberg, Melissa & Wade Rowley, Reid Rumelt, Thomas Ryan, Toni Sacco, Livia Santana, Michael Scheibel, Margaret Schimizzi, Tom Schulenberg, Robin Schwenke, Luke Seitz, Dominic Sherony, Eric Sibbald, Lindsey Simmons, Joshua Snodgrass, Dave Spier, Laura Stenzler, Brian Sullivan, J. Sullivan, Scott Sutcliffe, Rose Swift, Jim Tarolli, Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, Michael Tetlow, Nancy Trautmann, Brian Tuttle, Benjamin Van Doren, Lee Ann van Leer, Matthew Voelker, Brad Walker, Mike Webster, Joe Wing, Chris Wood, Nathaniel Young.


ABBREVIATIONS ABB – Aurora Bay Boathouse, CAYU; AHB – Aurora High Banks, CAYU; CayL – Cayuga L; CLSP – Cayuga L SP; CMP – Clute Memorial P, Watkins Glen, SCHU; CU – Cornell University; ESP – East Shore P, TOMP; FH – Frontenac Harbor, CAYU; FLNF – Finger Lake National Forest, SCHU/SENE; FLT – Finger Lakes Trail; HO – Hawthorn Orchard, TOMP; HP – Harris P, CAYU; HHSF – Hammond Hill SF, TOMP; HTWMA – Hi Tor WMA, YATE; ITA – Ithaca Tompkins Airport; IYC – Ithaca Yacht Club, TOMP; JW – Jetty Woods, TOMP; KMM – Knox-Marcellus Marsh, SENE; LPBP – Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, TOMP; McIP – McIlroy Preserve, CAYU; MHSF – Michigan Hollow SF, TOMP; MNWR – Montezuma NWR; MtP – Mt Pleasant, TOMP; MyPt – Myers Pt; OP – Ontario Pathways, ONTA; PerW – Personius Woods, CHEM; QCM – Queen Catharine Marsh, SCHU; RHPP – Roy H. Park Preserve, TOMP; RSGF – Reynolds State Game Farm, TOMP; SPt – Salt Pt, TOMP; SaM – Savannah Mucklands SENE; SapW – Sapsucker Woods, TOMP; SFDF – Seneca Farm Days Fairgrounds, SENE; SHP – Seneca Harbor P; SHSF – Shindagin Hollow SF, TOMP; SLSP – Seneca L SP, Geneva, ONTA; StP – Stewart P, TOMP; TC – T Caroline, TOMP; TD – T Dryden, TOMP; TG – T Genoa, CAYU; TH – T Hector, SCHU; THSF – Texas Hollow SF, SCHU; TI – T Ithaca, TOMP; TLa – T Lansing, TOMP; TLe – T Ledyard, CAYU; TO – T Ovid, SENE; TS – T Seneca, ONTA; TV – T Veteran, CHEM.

WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES Snow Goose: arr 280 CayL TOMP 10 Mar; max 50,000 ne CayL CAYU 21 Mar; last CayL SENE 19 Apr thru, late. Ross's Goose: arr & max 2 SLSP, Bluegrass Lane Natural Area TOMP 24 Mar; last SaM 2 Apr. Brant: arr Ithaca 12 May; max & last 76 MNWR 16 May, early dep. Cackling Goose: arr 4 SapW, MyPt 13 Mar; max 7 LPBP 25 Mar (B&ACF), high; last MtP 10 Apr. Mute Swan: max 14 CayL 23 Mar (CN); last MNWR 2 May. Trumpeter Swan: max 14 MNWR 4 Apr (EBa), high. Tundra Swan: max 350 ne CayL CAYU 30 Mar; last Herman Road Wetlands TOMP 29 Apr. Wood Duck: max 70 MNWR 3 May. Gadwall: max 350 MNWR 19 Apr (JMc), high. EURASIAN WIGEON (R3): arr CayL 29 Mar (TJ); last MNWR 30 May (ECh), late. Am. Wigeon: max 463 MNWR 7 Apr. Am. Black Duck: max 400 MyPt. Mallard: max 4000 MyPt 3 Mar (JMc), high. N. Shoveler: arr 2 MyPt 10 Mar; max 400 MNWR 27 Mar; last MNWR 13 May. N. Pintail: max 500 SaM 2 Apr.

Green-winged Teal: max 250 SaM 12 Apr (DNi), high. Canvasback: max 1,000 HP 5 Apr. Redhead: max 4,250 AHB 7 Mar. Ring-necked Duck: max 603 MNWR 7. Greater Scaup: max 700 ABB 14 Mar; last 8 MNWR 7 May. Lesser Scaup: max 400 ABB 14 Mar; last MNWR 29 May. Surf Scoter: max 4 MyPt 21-26 Mar; last CayL CAYU 2 May. White-winged Scoter: max 18 AHB 7Mar; last 2 MyPt 27 Apr. Black Scoter: arr ABB 14 Mar (JMc, LSa), early; last SPt 3 May. Long-tailed Duck: max 30 CLSP 19 Apr; last StP 29 Apr. Bufflehead: max 250 StP 7 Apr; last CayL TOMP 26 May. Com. Goldeneye: max 225 Wyers Pt SENE 13 Mar; last MNWR 9 May. Hooded Merganser: max 125 QCM 3 Apr. Com. Merganser: max 1200 IYC (JMc), high. Red-breasted Merganser: max 219 CayL SENE 20 Apr (KRo), high; last 3 SPt 26 May. Ruddy Duck: max 140 MNWR 19 Apr. Ruffed Grouse: 12 THSF 17 May (ID,AJ), high. Red-throated Loon: max 6 IYC 8 Mar; last HP 28 Apr.


Com. Loon: max 129 MtP 11 Apr (JeBa, CW), high. Pied-billed Grebe: max 29 MNWR 15 May. Horned Grebe: max 104 MyPt 17 Apr (JMc, LSa), high; last ESP 14 May. Red-necked Grebe: max 34 CayL SENE 19 Apr; last MyPt, SPt 3 May. EARED GREBE (R3): last Aurora Bay CAYU 29 Mar. Double-crested Cormorant: max 500 CayL CAYU 16 May (JMc, LSa), high. Great Blue Heron: 89 MNWR 15 May. Great Egret: arr HTWMA 25 Mar; max 6 MNWR 25-31 May. Black-crowned Night-Heron: arr 18 KMM 16 Apr; max 20 KMM 2 May (PB), high. GLOSSY IBIS (R3): MNWR 24-27 May (mob). BLACK VULTURE (R3): arr Ithaca 23 Mar (RSw, GM); CU 25 Mar (BV, LSe). Turkey Vulture: max 120 Ithaca 1 Apr (TL), high.

HAWKS - LARIDS Osprey: max 10 MNWR 17 May. Golden Eagle: arr T Horseheads CHEM 11 Mar; last NE Ithaca 30 Apr. N. Harrier: max 3 TLE 21 Apr, SaM 11 Apr, and NE Ithaca 30 Apr, low. Sharp-shinned Hawk: max 8 NE Ithaca 20 Apr. Bald Eagle: max 33 MNWR 7 Apr (IBA), high. Broad-winged Hawk: arr T Erin CHEM, 3 MtP, TD 10 Apr; max 20 NE Ithaca 30 Apr. Red-tailed Hawk: max 46 RSGF 6 Mar. Rough-legged Hawk: max 7 TH SCHU 29 Mar; last T Junius SENE 23 Apr. Virginia Rail: max 12 QCM 28 May (ID), high. Com. Gallinule: max 50 MNWR 3 May (OG, TR), high. Am. Coot: 240 SHP 2 Mar. Sandhill Crane: arr SaM 18 Mar; max 10 MNWR 22 May (JO), high. Black-bellied Plover: max 42 MNWR 21 May. AM. GOLDEN-PLOVER (R3): arr MNWR 25 May (mob), only report. Semipalmated Plover: max 600 MNWR 25 May (TLen), high. Killdeer: arr CMP, CU, Ithaca 9 Mar, late; max 30 MNWR 16 May. Spotted Sandpiper: max 16 MNWR 15 May. Solitary Sandpiper: max 15 MNWR 16 May.

Greater Yellowlegs: max 121 SaM 16 Apr (AGu), high. Lesser Yellowlegs: max 185 MNWR 8 May (JMc, LSa). Upland Sandpiper: arr SFDF 15 Apr; max 3 SFDF 26 Apr. WHIMBREL (R3): MNWR 25 May (mob), only report. Ruddy Turnstone: arr MNWR 24 May; max 11 MNWR 28 May. Dunlin: arr 4 SaM 12 Apr; max 3000 MNWR 24 May (DNu), high. Least Sandpiper: max 3000 MNWR 17 May (DSh, MTe), high. White-rumped Sandpiper: arr 2 MNWR 16 May; max 17 MNWR 25 May. Pectoral Sandpiper: max 8 MNWR 12 May; last 2 MNWR 25 May. Semipalmated Sandpiper: max 546 MNWR (DSh, MT), high. Short-billed Sandpiper: arr MNWR 15 May; max 20 MNWR 17 May. Wilson's Snipe: max 31 TD TOMP 14 Apr (BW), high. Am. Woodcock: max 7 Willard WMA 14 Apr; max 7 ITA 9 May. Wilson’s Phalarope: arr 4 MNWR 24 May; max 5 MNWR 25 May (TL, JMc, LSa), high. Bonaparte's Gull: arr Canandaigua L ONTA 16 Mar; max 700 CayL SENE 19 Apr. LITTLE GULL (R3): 4 CayL SENE 19 Apr (JMc, LSa), high. Ring-billed Gull: max 2400 SHP 11 Mar. Herring Gull: max 1800 IYC 2 Mar. THAYER'S GULL: RSGF 26 Mar (TL), only report. Iceland Gull: max 3 RSGF 20 Mar (JMc), high; last JW 3 May, (JMc, LSa), late. Lesser Black-backed Gull: max 9 ESP 5 Apr (JMc, LSa), high; last RSGF 27 May. Glaucous Gull: max 2 CayL SENE 4 Mar, RSGF 21-27 Mar, MyPt 20 Mar, TLa 5 Apr; last MyPt 12 Apr. Great Black-backed Gull: max 155 IYC 2 Mar. Caspian Tern: max 20 MNWR 26 Apr, 6 May, SaM 19 Apr. Black Tern: arr 15 MNWR 7 May; max 46 KMM 26 May (DNu), high. Com. Tern: max 66 FH 13 May. Forster's Tern: arr Lakefront P ONTA 11 Apr; max 9 FH 9 May.


PIGEONS - PARROTS Yellow-billed Cuckoo: arr T Manchester ONTA & TO 10 May; max 3 LPBP 23 May, MNWR 31 May. Black-billed Cuckoo: max 11 NE Ithaca 18 May (JMc), high. Snowy Owl: max 4 T Seneca Falls SENE 2 Apr (DKe), high; last Finger Lakes Regional Airport SENE 10 Apr. Barred Owl: max 3 SHSF 23 Apr (SDz, JMc), high. Short-eared Owl: last TH & 2 MNWR 3 Apr. Com. Nighthawk: max 6 Ithaca 16 May. E. Whip-poor-will: TC 2 May (SKe); TD 12 May (JFi), only reports. Chimney Swift: arr Ithaca 29 Apr (BBar, BCl), late; max 25 CU 27 May. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: max 5 TC 17 May. Red-headed Woodpecker: arr MNWR 8 May; max 2 MNWR 17 May thru. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: max 12 SHSF 23 Apr. N. Flicker: max 17 TD 13 Apr (JeBa, JGe, BS, CW), high. Pileated Woodpecker: max 5 THSF 17 May (AJ, ID), high. Am. Kestrel: max 3 TH 3 Apr & MtP 13 Apr, low. Merlin: nesting in C and TI. Peregrine Falcon: max and last 2 MNWR 21 May (JAk), late.

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS E. Wood-Pewee: max 13 THSF 17 May (AJ, ID), high. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr HO 12 May (JMc!),early. Acadian Flycatcher: arr MHSF 12 May. Alder Flycatcher: max 7 THSF 17 May. Willow Flycatcher: max 8 MNWR 16–23 May. Least Flycatcher: max 17 THSF 17 May. Great Crested Flycatcher: max 9 SapW 15 May & McIP 23 May. N. Shrike: last ITA 6 Apr. WHITE-EYED VIREO (R3): MNWR 19 Apr (JMc, LSa), only report. Philadelphia Vireo: arr OP T Phelps ONTA 8 May; max 4 HO 12 May; last FLT TH, Durland Preserve TOMP 22 May. Red-eyed Vireo: max 52 THSF 17 May (AH, ID), high. Am. Crow: max 2,000 Caroline 16 Mar (LAvL), high.

N. Rough-winged Swallow: max 50 LPBP 25 Apr (SDa, JGK, AM), high. Purple Martin: max 60 MNWR 8 May (JMc, LSa), high. Tree Swallow: max 1000 MNWR 17 Apr. Bank Swallow: max 95 TD 21 May. Barn Swallow: max 120 TSMP 3 May. Cliff Swallow: max 16 Fitch’s Bridge Fishing Access CHEM 7 May. Winter Wren: arr TO 4 Apr; max 4 THSF 17 May. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: max 14 MNWR 8 May. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: max 17 SapW 26 Apr; last RHPP 22 May. Veery: max 21 THSF 17 May (AJ, ID), high. Gray-cheeked Thrush: arr TLa (JMc) & TD (JFi) 9 May, early; max 2 NE Ithaca 18 May; last MyPt 28 May. Swainson's Thrush: max 30 NE Ithaca 21 May. Wood Thrush: max 31 THSF 17 May. Am. Pipit: arr 3 TD 13 Mar; max 110 TLa 29 Mar; last MNWR 28 May. BOHEMIAN WAXWING (R3): TD 14 Mar (BoMc), only report.

LONGSPURS - WARBLERS Lapland Longspur: 4 TG 8 Mar (mob); 3TL8 Mar (MG); only reports. Snow Bunting: max 150 TG 8 Mar; last T Groton TOMP 5 Apr. Ovenbird: max 75 FLT STEU (DD), high. Worm-eating Warbler: arr LPBP 14 May. Louisiana Waterthrush: arr T Newfield TOMP 13 Apr. N. Waterthrush: max 5 SapW 6 May & McIP 31 May. Blue-winged Warbler: arr SapW, Six Mile Cree 1 May; max 14 EcoVillage TOMP 9 May. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (R3): PerW 4 May (JGi), only report. “Lawrence's” Warbler ): LPBP 9 May thru (mob), only reports. Black-and-white Warbler: max 12 LPBP (B & ACFr, NY), high. Prothonotary Warbler: MNWR 11 May thru (JT, JBr,JPo). Tennessee Warbler: max 30 HO 12 May; last FLNF & TLa & 2 TC. Orange-crowned Warbler: MNWR 3 May; last TD 23 May. Nashville Warbler: max 8 TO 5 May, RHPP 9 May, HHSF 10 May. Com. Yellowthroat: max 42 THSF.


Hooded Warbler: arr TO 5 May; max 5 FLT SCHU, TLa 24 May, LPBP 25 May. Am. Redstart: arr C Ithaca (JAb), 2 JW 2 May (SKr), early; max 29 THSF 17 May. Cape May Warbler: max 13 HO 12 May; last NE Ithaca 25 May. Cerulean Warbler: arr 2 MNWR 4 May; max 5 Mud Lock CAYU 8 May. N. Parula: max 8 HO 16 May; last TC 21 May. Bay-breasted Warbler: max 12 HO 12 May; last MHSF 18 May. Blackburnian Warbler: max 12 HHSF 11 May. Yellow Warbler: max 26 MNWR 23 May. Black-throated Blue Warbler: max 9 SHSF 5 May. Palm Warbler: max 10 SapW 5 May; last OP 18 May. Pine Warbler: arr Sullivanville Dam CHEM 11 Apr; max 10 Gleason Meadows CHEM 2 May (ECl), high. Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr 2 SapW 9 Apr; max 110 SapW 4 May. Prairie Warbler: arr PerW 2 May; max 11 LPBP 9 May. Black-throated Green Warbler: max 35 FLT STEU 11 May (DD), high. Canada Warbler: max 5 HHSF 10-11 May, T Danby TOMP 17 May. Wilson’s Warbler: max 3 HO 10 May.

TOWHEES - WEAVERS E. Towhee: max 15 Bare Hill WMA YATE 15 May. Am. Tree Sparrow: max 50 TS 2 Mar (DKi), high; last SHSF 26 Apr. CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (R3): CU 4-27 May (mob); KMM 31 May (mob); only reports.

Field Sparrow: arr V Lansing 27 Mar; max 11 LPBP 10 May. Vesper Sparrow: max 5 TI 12 Apr. Savannah Sparrow: max 14 TI 12 Apr. Grasshopper Sparrow: arr TL 8 May; max 3 TL 9 May. Fox Sparrow: arr TV 22 Mar; max 7 LPBP 11 Apr; last Riley Tree Farm CAYU 28 Apr. Song Sparrow: max 76 TI. White-crowned Sparrow: max 12 C Ithaca 7 May, Sperr Memorial P CHEM 14 May; last TD 21 May. Scarlet Tanager: max 12 THSF 17 May. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: max 10 TD 10 May. Indigo Bunting: max 10 LPBP 23 May. Bobolink: max 25 SFDF 9 May. Red-winged Blackbird: arr 4 TS 6 Mar, late; max 24,390 QCM 25 Mar. E. Meadowlark: arr MyPt 13 Mar; max 20 TD 11 Apr. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: T Springport CAYU 13 Apr (JMc, LSa), only report. Rusty Blackbird: arr RSGF 14 Mar, late; max 161 SaM 16 Apr; last MNWR 16 May. Com. Grackle: arr TI 7 Mar; max 81,300 QCM 25 Mar. Brown-headed Cowbird: arr 15 SHP & 4 TH 10 Mar; max 2700 QCM 25 Mar (ID), high. Orchard Oriole: arr T Erwin STEU 29 Apr; max 3 MyPt 8 May. Purple Finch: max 12 T Big Flats CHEM 3 May. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL (R3): T Enfield TOMP 7-12 Mar (GG), only report. Com. Redpoll: max 87 TD; last TV 18 Apr. Pine Siskin: max 47 SapW Rd TOMP. EVENING GROSBEAK (R3): TD 13-14 Apr (MWeb); Breesport CHEM 6 May (WBl), only reports.

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REGION 4—SUSQUEHANNA No report was received this season.

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REGION 5—ONEIDA LAKE BASIN

Matt Perry 3787 Dawes Ave., Clinton, NY 13323

[email protected]

David Wheeler 20 Waterbury Dr., North Syracuse, NY 13212

[email protected] Spring 2015 got off to a cold start following a record-setting cold February. In Syracuse the average temperature for March was 27° F, 7.2° colder than normal. The high temperature for the month was 51° and occurred on 16 March; the low was - 7° on 1 March. A rainfall total of 1.5" left March with a 1.4" deficit. 12.3" of snow for the month sounds like a lot given the depth already present, but in Syracuse it’s close to 6" less than average. In Skaneateles, Ken Burdick reported that “The spring snow pack was deeper and lasted longer than normal and didn’t begin melting back significantly until the first week of April.” Conditions were more typical for that month, with the average temperature of 46.4° being only 0.5° lower than normal. The rainfall total for the month was 2.79", which was just less than ½ inch below normal. The oscillations between warm spells and freezing caused problems for some trees and shrubs that had leafed out too early, and the blossoms on some fruit trees were destroyed. May quickly turned things around as the month was unseasonably warm. The average temperature was 64.5°, which is 6.5° warmer than normal. A high of 90° was recorded on the 8th of the month. In Syracuse the total rainfall for May was nearly 4", less than an inch above normal. However some areas in the Region experienced a much wetter May. Spring thaw on major bodies of water was slow in coming. This was expected given the record-cold February we’d just experienced. On 19 March, satellite imagery showed that virtually all lakes in the Region were 100% iced over. An exception was the southeast end of Onondaga Lake, where Bald Eagles were among the species taking advantage of a small spot of open water. The gathering of eagles swelled to just over 30 by the latter part of March. The fast-running water in Baldwinsville, Phoenix, and Oswego, which prevented freezing during winter, continued to host concentrations of waterfowl into March. Dwindling food in these areas plus the arrival of some waterfowl suddenly frozen-out in areas to our north, resulted in a die-off of some birds. On 9 March, Gregg Dashnau reported finding a dozen dead diving ducks on the river at Oswego. Fortunately, following that incident, the Region’s rivers began opening and waterfowl were able to disperse. By mid-April conditions on the ground looked very different; Oneida and Skaneateles Lakes were open, and even the small lakes in the highlands of Madison and Onondaga Counties were beginning to clear. By the third week in April, Adirondack Lakes had also started to open up. Presumably due to the deep snow that persisted through March in much of


the Region, raptors (primarily owls) experienced a noticeable die-off. Many were found in weakened states in backyards or injured along roadsides and were brought to wildlife rehabilitators. Most were emaciated. Deep snow and/or a lack of prey likely played a role in depressed numbers of Rough-legged Hawks, Snowy Owls, and Northern Shrikes found in the Region. Snow Goose migration, often at peak by mid-March, only got underway during the last few days of the month. Prior to that, north-bound flocks had been seen returning to the Finger Lakes and other staging areas. Presumably due to snow depth, the usual fields in Pennellville never saw huge flocks. By the start of April though, Snow Geese seemed to be more resolute in their intentions and the largest flocks of the season were noted passing north. According to Jim D’Angelo, Great Blue Herons returned to the rookery at the Sterling Nature Center about two weeks later than normal. By 2 April there was still very little open water in the wetland that hosts the colony and only 13 of 25 nests were occupied. In the Adirondacks, Gary Lee reported that a Common Loon was on a nest on Gray Lake on 10 May, the earliest nesting date he had ever recorded in the Adirondacks. Lee also said that many loon nests were destroyed by flooding from excessive rains in May. The same loons re-nested only to have their nests flooded out a second time. The lateness of goose migration resulted in lower than normal counts at Derby Hill, as birds may have flown at night or on different routes. Ross’s and Cackling Geese were picked out in small numbers. As usual, Phillip’s Point on the western end of Oneida Lake was the Region’s best place to see Brant. Bill Purcell and Kevin McGann counted 5,895 there on 20 May. As with geese, ducks were denied a lengthy lingering period in the Region—most flew straight through without being detected. Dennis Anderson and Matt Voelker found a Eurasian Wigeon in a flooded field near Bridgeport, while Kevin McGann located one at Peter Scott Swamp. Neither bird remained long, but fortunately that was not the case with the two Harlequin Ducks that graced the area. One female in open water below the Delta Lake dam continued from the previous period and stayed an additional two weeks. An elegant drake was spotted on the Oswego River by Michael David and remained for a week. For the most part diving duck numbers were as unimpressive as were dabbler numbers, but Gregg Dashnau discovered an interesting roost-flight/migratory pathway near the confluence of the Oneida, Seneca, and Oswego Rivers. Dashnau intercepted many good movements and counted 1,007 Redheads on 20 March. All three scoter species were found this season, but, as expected, only White-winged Scoter was found in any number. Just downstream of the Phoenix dam, a female Barrow’s Goldeneye that had carried over from the prior period was joined by a second female on 3 March. Bill Purcell counted 134 Common Loons at Phillip’s Point on 23 April. On that same day there was a Red-throated Loon in breeding plumage on the lake. Purcell commented that it was the first time he’d ever seen a red throat on a Red-throated Loon! 36 Horned


Grebes were found at the Jamesville Reservoir on 29 April, and on 14 April 45 Red-necked Grebes were seen on Onondaga Lake. One of the season's best birds came from Gregg Dashnau's Three-Rivers watch on 31 March—an adult Great Cormorant flying together with two Double-crested Cormorants. Dashnau's field notes described the bird's larger size and characteristic white flank patches, seen in good light and only 50 ft. away. The species is seen only occasionally on the Great Lakes, where this bird was certainly headed, and is of virtually accidental status on smaller inland bodies of water. Dashnau wondered if the bird might have followed the Hudson River north from the Atlantic Ocean, presumably in the company of Double-crested Cormorants, then possibly along the Mohawk River to Oneida Lake and the Three-Rivers split. This unusual sighting represents the fourth Regional record for spring and ninth overall. A night-operating trail camera near Williamstown captured a truly unexpected image sequence on 7 May—a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron walking on a bridge over Fly Creek. This is only the sixth Regional record, all from late spring. The species is present throughout the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, as well as the southern states and Atlantic coast north to Long Island. Birders have long-speculated about the origin of stray herons making it to Upstate NY. Are they overshoots from the coast or southeast, or do they come from the west by following the south shore of the Great Lakes? While birding the west barrier bar at Fair Haven, David Wheeler was treated to 13 Glossy Ibis flying east along the Lakeshore in a low “V” formation. Resembling cormorants as they approached, Wheeler photographed the flock and was able to confirm each bird as Glossy vs. the rarer White-faced Ibis. Glossy is well-represented, with at least 40 Regional records, mostly singles. 13 birds ties the previous Regional high and is just shy of the Upstate maxima. The species lives on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, again raising questions about the origin of birds wandering to the Great Lakes. Do they follow the Mississippi River north or are they overshoots from more northern coastal areas? Wheeler, Purcell, and Jim Tarolli were treated to three more Glossy Ibis at Derby Hill on 29 May. The birds came on an unusual trajectory: from the east shore of Lake Ontario and passing over the North Lookout heading south. Turkey Vultures continued a strong presence in the Region, with another near-record count at the Derby Hill hawk watch, where David Wheeler was the official counter. Three Black Vultures and two dark-morph “western” Red-tailed Hawks were the only raptor rarities this season, but the most promising flight days often had southwest wind and very high birds “cutting the corner” of Mexico Bay. The 2015 Season Report contains a species-by-species discussion of count numbers, weather, and other factors related to this intense census of migrating birds of prey. Rough-legged Hawk numbers were lower than normal, and few Goshawks were observed. The usual late-May flights of immature Bald Eagles and Broad-winged Hawks were disappointing. A leucistic or partial


albino Red-tailed Hawk near Cicero was responsible for several erroneous Snowy Owl reports. Soras were reported from five locations, an improvement over recent years for this elusive species. American Coot numbers were surprisingly low. Singles and pairs were reported from only a few locations around Oneida Lake and points west. Sandhill Cranes are an expected sight passing Derby Hill, but a surprising number were seen throughout the Region. The authors wonder when they will become a local breeder, given suitable habitat and a predictable supply of the birds wandering through. A flock of five American Avocets were seen and photographed on the southwest shore of Onondaga Lake on 20 April. Upland Sandpipers occurred in only two areas, including at a recently discovered site in Poland, Oneida County. Hopefully the species will be confirmed breeding there during the summer reporting period. A flock of Dunlin passed Derby Hill on 19 May, while on 26 May, Joshua and Josiah LaCelle reported a flock of 12 Whimbrel flying over Oneida Lake near Cleveland. Late May is an excellent time to look for this impressive species flying west along Oneida Lake. On 24 May Gregg Dashnau also spotted a Whimbrel, unexpected, as it flew past his Three-Rivers watch site. As well as making them nest-cam celebrities in the local area, a camera mounted on the Peregrine Falcons’ nestbox in downtown Utica continues to provide data on the variety of prey species the raptors bring home. On 25 May, the male Peregrine brought a Dunlin in breeding plumage back to the nest and passed it to his mate, who then went on to feed it to their three nestlings. The Dunlin was the only species of sandpiper other than an American Woodcock that’s been observed being brought into the Utica Peregrines’ nest. Early spring was lackluster in terms of gull numbers and species diversity. Many of the usual hot spots were locked in ice or lacking in food. Iceland, Lesser Black-backed, and Glaucous Gulls were barely represented. Single Little Gulls were found by Drew Weber and Bill Purcell, and an adult Laughing Gull was found by David Wheeler at Oswego Harbor on 14 May. Joshua and Josiah LaCelle photographed a Forster’s Tern on 17 April on Oneida Lake, while Purcell saw one at Derby Hill on 12 May. In late March a Barred Owl that was noticeably faltering made its way onto Linda Salter’s property in the Southern Highlands. The bird stationed itself near a bird feeder but seemed incapable of securing any of the birds and other creatures that came in to feed. After seeking advice from experts as to how she could help the owl, she put out pieces of raw meat and chicken liver (recommended only if mice couldn’t be obtained). The meat was left on the posts holding the bird feeders. The owl took advantage of the unusual fare and reportedly began to recover. One of three Northern Saw-whet Owls found this period was emaciated and succumbed. Other migratory owls were in short supply, while Snowy Owls continued from winter. Again this spring both Gregg Dashnau and Wayne Fidler conducted Common Nighthawk counts at Three Rivers WMA and Derby Hill, respectively. The count total for Dashnau's 16-day census (14–29 May) was 167 birds, an increase of 97 above


last spring’s tally, with a single evening maximum of 51 on 24 May. Fidler's season total was 477 and featured an exceptional high count of 189 migrating nighthawks passing Derby Hill on 26 May. Spring may be too early to gauge the Region’s Chimney Swift roosts, but the season’s best count was from a roost in downtown Utica where at least 100 were tallied near dusk. On 24 May at the Stillwater Reservoir in the Adirondacks, Gary Lee participated in the banding of 47 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Four of the birds captured had been banded the previous year. Red-headed Woodpeckers were again limited to the shorelines of Lake Ontario and Oneida Lake. On 26 April Mickey Scilingo reported that a pair of Merlins returned to their nesting territory in Constantia, but showed no interest in reusing the same nest. Breeding Peregrine Falcons were confirmed again in Syracuse and Utica. At the latter site, egg laying began on 1 April, nine days earlier than the previous year. The presence of a Peregrine on 10 May near the bluffs that rise above the Mohawk River in Little Falls is interesting. Turkey Vultures have been known to nest on those cliffs, but are they high enough to suit a Peregrine Falcon? Only a single Olive-sided Flycatcher was found outside of its Adirondack breeding grounds this spring, and migrating Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were observed only at four locations. Acadian Flycatcher arrived on its traditional nesting grounds at Whisky Hollow on 16 May. Another Acadian was found at Three Rivers WMA on the same day. An amazing find and potential second state record of Bell's Vireo was found by Matt Perry at Spring Farm Nature Sanctuary in Oneida County. The bird was first heard singing on 12 May, but until the bird was seen was thought to be a White-eyed Vireo with an atypical song. On 13 May, Perry spotted the singer and was able to properly identify the rarity. Though no photo was obtained of this active bird in difficult habitat, audio recordings were made of its distinctive song. Realizing the magnitude of the discovery, Perry is commended for assembling details and substantiating evidence under difficult field conditions. Fish Crows were found carrying nesting material by Gregg Dashnau in Phoenix, a new (or at least formerly unknown) location. Another tough winter may be the cause of the relatively low number of Winter Wrens reported. Traditional hotspots such as Whiskey Hollow and Happy Valley were mostly devoid of the bird's long, incredible song. The same may be said about the wren’s forest ally and fellow half-hardy songbird, Hermit Thrush. Migration of warblers and other neotropical songbirds seemed generally unremarkable. In referring to the present state of passerines vs. that of his youth, long-time Lakeshore birder Gerry Smith remarked “we still get the big waves of migrants but not a lot in between; that's what's changed”. In spite of harsh March weather our early-arriving species were right on time. High counts during the period seemed mostly low, but 16 May produced impressive warbler numbers on the Lakeshore. Louisiana Waterthrush records continue to be disappointing, turned in mostly by birders adding the species to their year lists. Only a handful


of Golden-winged Warblers were reported this period, and none from the eastern half of the Region. A “Lawrence’s” Warbler returned to the Great Bear Recreation Area in Fulton for at least the second year. Even as so many warbler species seem to be losing ground and are represented less and less during migration, Tennessee Warbler appears to be going against that trend. Cape May Warblers seemed to be relatively common on the Lakeshore this year, and Wayne Fidler found two Orange-crowned Warblers. On 26 May, five singing Clay-colored Sparrows were on their breeding grounds at Spring Farm Nature Sanctuary in Clinton. Singles were also reported from Green Lakes State Park, Three Rivers WMA, and Derby Hill. Vesper Sparrow reports in spring continue to be mostly of roadside birds near the Ontario Lakeshore. In Cazenovia on 25 April, Paul Weiskotten observed a male Yellow-headed Blackbird feeding with a mixed flock of blackbird species. Common Redpolls were seen almost daily along the Lakeshore for the first half of the season, quickly replaced by Pine Siskins. Evening Grosbeaks were seen in only a few sweet spots in the Region where they are semi-reliable at feeders—in the Adirondack foothills, Tug Hill, and the southern highlands of Madison County, where Linda Salter's feeding station helped many birds make it through the winter. This season a total of 248 species and two hybrids was reported, which is four above the recent 10-year average for the Region. Highlights of the season included: Ross’s Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, GREAT CORMORANT, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, Glossy Ibis, Black Vulture, American Avocet, Whimbrel, Little Gull, Laughing Gull, Forster's Tern, Snowy Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, BELL’S VIREO, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. Spring 2015 produced 72,793 eBird records for Region 5, and these were processed by Swan Hummingbird v 4.02. Reports were contributed by 252 people.

CONTRIBUTORS

Janet Akin, Ginny Alfano, Dennis Anderson, Betty Armbruster, Bob Asanoma, Sue Barth, Brenda Best (BB), Sue Boettger, Adam Bornt, Carla Bregman, Joseph Brin (JB), Matthew Brown, Matt Brunelle, Ken & Rose Burdick (KRB), Mike Burger, Andrea Burke, Brian Busby, Joe Carey, Bernie Carr (BC), Jerry Case (JC), David Cesari, Jay & Pat Chapman (JCh), Richard Cohen, Jeremy Collison, Christopher Conners, Tom Cunningham, Jim D’Angelo (JD), Abby Darrah, Michael David, Ian Davies, Gregg Dashnau (GD), Rose DeNeve, Bruce Dudek, Jane Fagerland, Wayne Fidler (WF), Kelly Fitzsimmons, Elizabeth Frascatore, Nathan Goldberg, Derek Green, Bill Gruenbaum, Barbara & Larry Hall (BLH), Eddie Harlow, Tom Hitchcock, Teri Holland, Gene Huggins, Marshal Iliff, Jesse Jaycox, John Jessup, John Kenny, Jonathan Kresge, Joshua LaCelle (JaL), Josiah LaCelle (JhL), Robbie LaCelle (RL), Gary Lee (GL), Tim Lenz, Adrain Lewis, Garrett MacDonald, Mark Magistro (MaM), Mary Magistro (MM), Anne Mayville (AM), Ben McGann; Kevin McGann (KM), Jay McGowan (JM), Tom McKay,


Wilma Mount, Michael Mulqueen, David Nash (DN), Cody Nichols, David Nicosia, Mitch Nusbaum, Gareth Perkins, Matt Perry (MP), John Pumilio, Bill Purcell (BP), Wally Ramsey, Paul Richardson, Paul Rodewald, Jean Ronan, Mandi Roggie, Ken Rosenberg, Linnea Rowse, Margaret Rusk, Chris Sagnoli, Linda Salter (LS), Livia Santana (LSa), Steven Schellenger, Stephanie Schmidt, Thomas Schmidt (TSc), Mickey Scilingo (MS), Tony Shrimpton (TS), Jessica Sielawa, Gerald Smith, Sheila Smith, Jean Soprano, Chris Spagnoli (CS), Robert Spahn, Chris Stanger, Lois String, Brian Sullivan, Stephen Swensen, David Swigart, Paul Swigart, Jim Tarolli (JT), Judy Thurber, Fran Vanderveer, Andrew Van Norstrand (AVN), Matt Voelker (MV), Bill Wallauer, Drew Weber (DWe), Paul Weiskotten (PW), Lisa Welch, David Wheeler (DW), Brian White, Robert G. Williams III (RW), Russell Winter, John Wojcikiewicz, Chris Wood (CW).

ABBREVIATIONS ADK – Adirondacks, n. HERK; BLNC – Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville; Brew – Oneida L at Brewerton; Bville – Baldwinsville; Cam – Camden, ONEI; Caz – Cazenovia; Chit – Chittenango; CM – Clay Marsh, Clay; Const – Oneida L at Constantia; DB – Ditch Bank Rd & vicinity, T Sullivan/Lenox; DH – Derby Hill, T Mexico; DL – Delta L; Dolge – Dolgeville, HERK; Dville – Durhamville; FH – Fair Haven, Little Sodus Bay, and vicinity; GB – Great Bear Rec Area, Fulton; GLSP – Green Lakes SP, Fayetteville; GSC – Great Swamp Conservancy; HA – Hancock Airport, Syracuse; HF – Highland Forest; HV – Happy Valley WMA, Parish; LOL – Lake Ontario Lakeshore; NS – Noyes Sanctuary; OF – Old Forge; OLC – Onondaga Lake Creekwalk, Syracuse; OneiL – Oneida L; OnonL – Onondaga L; OswH – Oswego Harbor; PPt – Oneida L at Phillips Pt, W Monroe; Pville – Pennellville; PSS – Peter Scott Swamp, Phoenix; Phx – Oswego R at Phoenix; SBP – Sunset Bay P, Scriba; SFNS – Spring Farm Nature Sanctuary, Kirkland; SH – Southern Highlands of Onondaga & Madison Co.; SHTF – Sky High Turf Farm, Chittenango MADI; Skan – Skaneateles; SNC – Sterling Nature Center, Sterling; SP – Sandy Pd and vicinity; SSSP – Selkirk Shores SP; SVB – Sylvan, Verona Beach, and vicinity; Syr – Syracuse; TR – Three Rivers WMA, Lysander; UM – Utica Marsh; WH – Whiskey Hollow; WP – Woodman Pd, Hamilton.

WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES Snow Goose: arr DH 20 Mar; max 10000 DH 2 Apr; intro. Ross’s Goose: DH 30 Mar (DW, ph); 3 Apr TR Mar (GD). Brant: arr 20 PPt 11 May; max 5895 PPt 20 May; 250 Trenton 25 May; last 79 Cleveland 26 May. Cackling Goose: SVB 3 Apr (JaL, JhL); DH 9 Apr. Canada Goose: max 8000 TR 25 Mar; 2700 SHTF 30 Mar; 2100 DH 2 Apr. Mute Swan: 6 Phx 9 Mar; max 23 FH 14 Mar. Trumpeter Swan: max 6 Phx 14 Apr (KM); a few pairs n. ONON & OSWE; none after 16 May. Tundra Swan: max 23 DB 1 Apr; 15 Lakeport 1 Apr; 20 Brew 5 Apr; last Richfield, s. HERK 13 Apr; low numbers.

Wood Duck: max 121 Bville 25 Mar; 43 GB 29 Mar; 38 DH 7 Apr. Gadwall: 10 OnonL 10 Mar; max 14 OneiL 7 Apr; 10 OnonL 14 Apr; 9 Syr 14 Apr; last 2 PPt 15 May. EURASIAN WIGEON (R5): Bridgeport 5 Apr (DA); Phx 28 Apr (KM). Am. Wigeon: arr Osw 7 Mar; 30 Pville 12 Apr; 35 Volney 28 Apr; max 60 Phx 15 Apr; last OnonL 27 May. Am. Black Duck: 44 SVB 2 Apr; 56 Brew 4 Apr; max 70 Chit 6 Apr. Mallard: 350 Chit 6 Apr; max 460 Bville 9 Mar. Am. Black Duck X Mallard: Pville 5 Apr (BP); Lysander 16 May (DA); only reports. Blue-winged Teal: arr OneiL 31 Mar; 3 TR 5 Apr; 3 Chittenango 6 Apr; max 4 PSS 9 Apr; 3 SNC 22 May; low numbers.


N. Shoveler: arr OnonL 16 Mar; max 18 OnonL 14 Apr; 16 UM 17 Apr; last PPt 20 May. N. Pintail: Little Falls 1 Mar; 85 Chit 6 Apr; max 250 Phx 12 Apr; last 22 Apr. Green-winged Teal: arr Frankfort 16 Mar; 90 Chit 6 Apr; max 150 Phx 12 Apr; last CM 16 May. Canvasback: 4 GLSP 8 Mar; max 12 Bville 12 Mar; 10 Brew 20 Mar. Redhead: 325 Bville 9 Mar; 144 Brew 19 Mar; max 1007 Phx 20 Mar; 1-2 Phx thru. Ring-necked Duck: 151 Brew 5 Apr; 125 GSC 6 Apr; max 170 Brew 7 Apr; last OneiL 28 May. Greater Scaup: max 200 Osw 7 Mar; 80 Brew 5 Apr; 111 OnonL 16 Apr; last 3 PPt 19 May. Lesser Scaup: 150 Osw 14 Mar; 90 Brew 7 Apr; max 400 OnonL 10, 17 Apr; last 2 Caz 28 May. Greater/Lesser Scaup: 80 Osw 28 Mar; max 700 Brew 7 Apr; 200 OnonL 22 Apr. HARLEQUIN DUCK (R5): f. DL 1-14 Mar (mob, ph), continuing; m. Osw 7-13 Mar (MD, mob, ph). Surf Scoter: arr 2 BLNC 23 Mar; max 8 PPt 26 Apr; last 2 PPt 4 May. White-winged Scoter: arr Brew 4 Mar; 15 Osw 11 Mar; max 429 PPt 19 May; 5 OnonL 21 Apr; last 4 Const 25 May; most reports OneiL. Black Scoter: arr OnonL 14 Apr (DWe); 2 PPt 28 Apr, 14 May (BP); 2 Const 16 May (MS). Long-tailed Duck: arr Bville, Phx 1 Mar; 85 Osw 7 Mar; 184 PPt 29 Apr; max 200 SBP 3 May; last 2 PPt 23 May. Bufflehead: max 119 OneiL 7 Apr; 84 DH 13 Apr; 100 OnonL 17 Apr; last Osw 16 May. Com. Goldeneye: max 245 Phx 6 Mar; 86 Bville 7 Mar; last PPt 4 May. BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (R5): 2 f. Phx 3-7 Mar (DW!, GD!, mob, ph), one thru 8 Mar. Hooded Merganser: 35 Phx 21 Mar; 35 GB 29 Mar; max 41 UM 8 Apr. Com. Merganser: max 250 OLCW 17 Mar; 153 Bville 18 Mar; 144 GB 18 Mar; 200 OneiL 2 Apr. Red-breasted Merganser: max 96 Phx 18 Mar; 50 DH 2 Apr; 75 OnonL 21 Apr; last 2 FH 28 May. Ruddy Duck: arr OneiL 30 Mar; max 196 OnonL 17 Apr; 6 BLNC 17 Apr; 10 WP 17 Apr; last OnonL 27 Apr; reports from only 4 locs. Ring-necked Pheasant: max 2 GLSP 16 May; 8 reports of singles. Ruffed Grouse: max 5 SH 26 Apr, 2 May; 3

Gray, HERK 29 Apr. Wild Turkey: max 60 Westernville 1 Mar; 56 Fabius 15 Mar; 36 New Woodstock 21 Mar; 36 Dville 29 Mar. Red-throated Loon: max 2 Osw 5 Apr; singles at 5 other locs; last SBP 9 May. Com. Loon: arr DH 27 Mar; 96 DH 22 Apr (BP); max 134 PPt 23 Apr (BP); 54 Skan 23 Apr; Gray Lake ADK 10 May (GL), on nest early. Pied-billed Grebe: arr Bville 10 Mar; 5 GB 3 Apr; max 7 Phx 7 Apr; 5 BLNC 14 Apr. Horned Grebe: 10 WP 14 Apr; 25 OnonL 17 Apr; max 36 Jamesville 29 Apr; 16 PPt 29 Apr; last 2 SBP 26 May. Red-necked Grebe: 24 Const 12 Apr; max 45 OnonL 14 Apr (DWe); 12 WP 28 Apr; last DH 12 May. Double-crested Cormorant: 200 OnonL 14 Apr; 393 PPt 23 Apr; max 545 FH 12 May. GREAT CORMORANT (R5): Three Rivers junction 31 Mar (GD!); 4th Reg rec spring, 9th overall; intro. Am. Bittern: arr & max 4 TR 12 Apr; 3 SVB 1 May; 2 Phx 26 Apr – 3 May; reports of singles. Least Bittern: arr TR 26 Apr; Volney 3 May; Port Ontario 10 May; max 2 TR 11 May; only reports. Great Blue Heron: 16 Phx 11 Apr; max 31 Kirkville 13 Apr; 29 nests at SNC 6 May. Great Egret: arr Cam 22 Apr; 2 PPt & SVB 29 Apr; 2 DH 9 May; singles 8 other locs; last Nelson 20 May. Green Heron: arr SVB 15 Apr; max 6 DH 19 May; 5 TR 8, 11, 25 May. Black-crowned Night-Heron: arr WP 19 Apr, remains for 11 days; OnonL 27 Apr; TR 2 May; Scriba 16 May; CM 16 May; only reports. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (R5): Williamstown 7 May, night ph by a trail cam, intro. GLOSSY IBIS: 13 FH 11 May flying east (DW!, ph), ties Reg. max; 3 DH 29 May (DW, JT, BP); intro.

HAWKS - LARIDS BLACK VULTURE (R5): 2 DH 19 Mar (DW!, ph); DH 3 Apr (DW, JT, ph, BP); Little Falls 19 May (LH). Turkey Vulture: arr Cam 7 Mar; max 4108 3 Apr (DW, JT); 2560 DH 12 Apr; 1683 DH 13 Apr. Osprey: arr Phx, DH 27 Mar; 45 DH 8 May; max 70 DH 9 May. N. Harrier: arr Clay 7 Mar; max 46 DH 2 Apr; 29 DH 9 Apr.


Sharp-shinned Hawk: 183 DH 10 Apr; 200 DH 12 Apr; max 458 DH 13 Apr (DW). Cooper's Hawk: max 102 DH 25 Mar; 57 DH 2 Apr. N. Goshawk: 2 SH 13, 23 Mar, 3, 24 Apr, wintered (LS); arr 2 DH 16 Mar; 7 singles DH. Bald Eagle: 31 OnonL 17 Mar, 2 Apr (DWe); max 69 DH 8 May (DW, JT); 35 DH 9 May. Red-shouldered Hawk: arr DH 13 Mar; max 168 DH 25 Mar (DW, JT); 5 GB 24 Mar; 103 DH 2 Apr; 4 TR 2 Apr. Broad-winged Hawk: arr 46 DH 12 Apr; max 5074 DH 21 Apr (DW); 2035 DH 22 Apr; 1161 DH 9 May. Red-tailed Hawk: 304 DH 25 Mar; max 461 DH 2 Apr; 412 DH 13 Apr; 2 dark-morph (western) 10 Apr. Rough-legged Hawk: max 40 DH 2 Apr (DW); 19 DH 10 Apr; 14 DH 13 Apr; last 2 DH 2 May; only one rep east of OneiL. Golden Eagle: arr Jamesville 11 Mar; DH 13 Mar; Cam 14 Mar; 7 DH 24 Mar; TR 2, 3, Apr, 28 May; max 19 DH 13 Apr (DW); last TR 28 May. Virginia Rail: arr 16 Apr; max 5 TR 28 Apr, 5 May; 2 Volney 28 Apr, 3 May; 3 CM 29 Apr; 4 Verona 4, 21 May; 2 Otter Lake, CAYU 14 May; 2 Phx 16 May. Sora: arr TR 24 Apr; max 2 SVB 3, 15 May, 2 TR 8 May; DH 4 May; CM 8 May; Cam 8 May. Com. Gallinule: arr Volney 14 Apr; max 4 Volney 28 Apr, 4 May; 2 SVB 1 May; low numbers. Am. Coot: 1-2 at expected locs; max 10 Loop Rd Unit 12 Apr. Sandhill Crane: arr 3 TR 31 Mar (GD); 2 Hubbardsville 7 Apr; max 6 DH 10 Apr; 2 Waterville 11 Apr (RW); 2 Port Byron 12, 14 Apr (TH, JA); 2 DB 16 Apr (BW); last DH, SBP 9 May (DG). AMERICAN AVOCET (R5): 5 OnonL 20 Apr (ph), very early. Black-bellied Plover: arr & max 28 Const 25 May; last 21 Const 28 May; only reports. Semipalmated Plover: arr 3 Pville 10 May; 2 SP 17 May; 2 FH 22 May; max 11 Caz 26 May; last SVB 28 May. Killdeer: arr Sterling, Phx, Bville, DH 10 Mar; max 51 DH 2 Apr; 18 TR 2 Apr; 32 Dolge 3 Apr; 15 HA 19 Apr. Spotted Sandpiper: arr Marcellus 19 Apr; 5 Bville 5 May; 10 DH 15 May; 16 SBP 19 May; 6 OnonL 27 May. Solitary Sandpiper: arr TR 13 Apr; 7 Little Falls 7 May; max 10 Marcellus 8 May; 8 Cam 14 May.

Greater Yellowlegs: arr Fernwood 7 Apr; 20 Fulton 19, 20 Apr; max 28 Bridgeport 22 Apr; last Phx 14 May. Lesser Yellowlegs: arr DB 6 Apr; max 4 Fairfield 28 Apr & Fulton 16 Apr; last 4 NWinfield 12 May; relatively few reports. Upland Sandpiper: arr Fulton 13 Apr; 2 Fulton 19 – 28 Apr; max 3 Deerfield 30 Apr . Whimbrel: arr 3 PPt 22 May (BP, KM); Three Rivers junction 24 May (GD); Const 25 May (MS, KM); max 12 Cleveland 26 May (JaL, JhL). Ruddy Turnstone: arr FH 11 May (DW); 2 FH 12, 15, 31 May; SVB 28 May (JhL, JaL); max 3 Const 31 May (BP). Sanderling: arr & max 14 FH 28 May; FH 31 May; only reports. Dunlin: arr 6 FH 11 May; 60 DH 19 May (DW); 51 PPt 24 May; max 150 Const 25 May (BP). Least Sandpiper: arr 8 Jamesville 6 May; 16 Marcellus 8 May; max 29 Volney 14 May; 12 FH 15 May; 14 TR 19 May; last 4 DL 28 May. Pectoral Sandpiper: arr 3 DB 2 May, only report. Semipalmated Sandpiper: arr 3 FH 29 May; max 130 FH 31 May; only reports. peep species: 135 PPt 24 May; max 150 Const 25 May. Short-billed Dowitcher: max 3 TR 20 May (GD), only report. Wilson's Snipe: arr Phx 25 Mar; max 70 DB 14 Apr (JC), good number; 11 Pville 26 Apr; 11 TR 8 May; 8 Deerfield 15 May. Am. Woodcock: arr Cam 18 Mar; 5 Camillus 5 Apr; max 12 TR 12 Apr; 4 SFNS 2 May. Bonaparte's Gull: arr OLC 2 Apr; 54 Skan 22 Apr; 15 OnonL 19 Apr; max 168 PPt 2 May. LITTLE GULL (R5): OnonL 14 Apr (DWe); PPt 29 Apr (BP). LAUGHING GULL (R5): ad. OswH 14, 15 May (DW!, mob, ph). Ring-billed Gull: max 4356 DH 21 Mar (WF); 1400 DB 28 Mar; 2500 DH 30 Mar. Herring Gull: max 150 OnonL 9 Mar; 127 Phx 21 Mar; 80 DB 28 Mar. Iceland Gull: max 2 OnonL 10 Mar; last 2 OswH 13 May (BP), late; singles 6 other locs. Lesser Black-backed Gull: DB 28 Mar - 4 Apr; SVB 12 Apr; OnonL 9, 15 Mar; last OnonL 22 Apr (DWe). Glaucous Gull: max 2 OnonL 11 Mar; singles at 4 other locs; last DH 3 Apr. Great Black-backed Gull: 14 Brew 4 Mar; max 80 OnonL 10 Mar; 22 Bville 19 Mar. gull species: max 600 OLC 25 Mar.


Caspian Tern: arr DH, Phx 13 Apr; max 260 Osw 15 May (BP); 125 FH 18 May (DW); 43 SBP 18 May; good numbers. Black Tern: arr SSSP 12 May; Const 25, 28 May; Deer Creek Marsh 30 May; only reports. Com. Tern: arr WP 12 Apr; max 30 PPt 12 May; 14 Phx 20 May; 25 SVB 28, 29 May. Forster’s Tern: OneiL 17 Apr (JhL, JaL, ph); DH 12 May (BP); only reports.

PIGEONS - PARROTS Rock Pigeon: 130 Bville 3 Mar; max 180 Brew 9 Mar; 100 Phx 14 Mar. Mourning Dove: 22 Const 1 Mar; max 25 Fayetteville 7 Mar. Yellow-billed Cuckoo: arr WH 7 May; max 2 Cam 24 Mar; relatively few reports. Black-billed Cuckoo: arr CM 5 May; max 2 SFNS 14 – 30 May; relatively few reports. E. Screech-Owl: singles Hamilton, Fulton, Verona, Syr, Oswego, Clinton, & Volney; low numbers. Great Horned Owl: max 3 TR 8 Mar, 15 Apr & 3 GSC 6 Apr; SNC 13 Mar, on nest at heron rookery; widespread reports. Snowy Owl: max 2 HA 4 Mar; HA 6 – 14 Mar. Barred Owl: 3 Cam 21 Apr; 3 Const 7 May; max 4 Cleveland 21 May; widespread reports. Long-eared Owl: arr SNC 29 Mar (JD); TR 28 Apr (GD); only reports. Short-eared Owl: SH 20 Mar (LS); Little Falls 12 Apr (JR); only reports. N. Saw-whet Owl: Canas 6 Mar (JS), starving, expired; SSSP 8 Mar (WF); Waterville 3 Apr (RW); Cam 7 May (JaH, JhL); only reports. Com. Nighthawk: arr Const 10 May (MS); 106 DH 18 May (WF); 51 TR 24 May (GD); max 189 DH 26 May (WF), good number; intro. E. Whip-poor-will: arr Sandy Creek 1 May (MB); max 4 Const 10 May (KM) & Salisbury 24 May (BLH); singles 2 other sites. Chimney Swift: arr Hamilton 30 Apr; max 100 Utica 20 May; 32 Little Falls 20 May; 30 Phx 31 May. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr DH 3 May; max 6 DH 15 May; 4 Cam 21 May; Stillwater ADK 24 May, banding (GL), intro. Belted Kingfisher: max 15 DH 7 Apr; 4 DB 8 Apr; 4 Tully 25 Apr. Red-headed Woodpecker: arr Scriba 15 Apr; max 3 Scriba 17 Apr; 2 SVB 26 Apr; 2 FH 15 – 29 May; all reports LOL or OneiL. Red-bellied Woodpecker: 7 GLSP 16 Apr; 8 DH 8 May; max 12 Blossvale 25 May. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: HI 2 Mar, likely wintered; arr GLSP 16 Mar; 4 SH 4 Apr; 4 SVB

19 Apr; 4 TR 25 Apr; 4 Dolge 1 May; max 6 SFNS 7 May. Downy Woodpecker: max 8 Fayetteville 21 Mar; 7 SNC 3 May. Hairy Woodpecker: max 4 SH 8 Mar; 4 GLSP 7 Apr; 4 TR 29 Apr; 4 SFNS 7 – 27 May. Black-backed Woodpecker: OF 25 May (DS, PS), only report. N. Flicker: max 390 DH 13 Apr (DW); 59 DH 16 Apr; 75 DH 18 Apr; 61 DH 19 Apr. Pileated Woodpecker: max 5 SVB 12 Apr; 4 TR 25 Apr. Am. Kestrel: 42 DH 9 Apr; max 74 DH 13 Apr (DW); 60 DH 20 Apr. Merlin: 4 DH 13 Mar, 7, 9, 21 Apr; max 12 DH 20 Apr (DW, JT); 2 Const 26 Apr – 3 May; 2 Waterville 12 May. Peregrine Falcon: 2 DH 13 Apr; Little Falls 10 May, near cliffs; breeding pairs Syr and Utica.

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr CM 11 May; ADK 24 May; only reports. E. Wood-Pewee: arr HI, WH 8 May; 6 Van Buren 23 May; max 11 SH 24 May; 6 WH 5 May; 6 SVB 27 May. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr SFNS 23 May; max 2 DH 29 May; singles 2 other locs. Acadian Flycatcher: arr WH 16 May thru; arr TR WMA 16 May; only reports. Alder Flycatcher: arr 2 SFNS 9 May; max 6 TR 29 May; 5 SFNS 30 May. Willow Flycatcher: arr WP 5 May; max 13 CM 16 May; 4 DeWitt 16 May; 4 TR 23 May; 5 OnonL 24 May. Least Flycatcher: arr Cam 2 May; 7 Const 3 May; 7 Cam 14 May; max 9 CM 16 May. E. Phoebe: arr Dolge, Rome 1 Apr; max 8 DH 13 Apr; 7 TR 14 Apr. Great Crested Flycatcher: arr SVB 2 May; 6 DH 15 May; max 12 CM 16 May; 11 SBP 16 May; 6 Const 26 May. E. Kingbird: arr SFNS, TR, DH 30 Apr; 9 Syr 5 May; max 10 Cam 14 May. N. Shrike: Erieville 22 Mar; TR 22, 31 Mar; Cam 25, 26 Mar; Elbridge 2 Apr; Cold Brook 5 Apr; Ohio 5 Apr; only reports. BELL’S VIREO: SFNS 12, 13 May (MP!, NYSARC, audio record), intro, 1st Reg rec, 2nd State rec. Yellow-throated Vireo: arr Cam, Marcellus, TR, Volney, Const 3 May; 5 HI 8 May; max 6 GB 9 May; 4 ADK 24 May. Blue-headed Vireo: arr SFNS 21 Apr; 5 SH 2 May; 4 Cicero 11 May; max 10 OF 17 May. Warbling Vireo: arr Fayetteville 30 Apr; max


8 Cam 14 May & CM 16 May. Philadelphia Vireo: arr WP 5 May; max 2 New Woodstock 21 May; last Woodgate 30 May; singles at 6 other locs. Red-eyed Vireo: arr SVB, Clinton 3 May; max 15 SH 17 May. Blue Jay: max 2800 DH 4 May (BP); 1700 DH 5 May; 500 SBP 9 May; 160 DH 11 May; good numbers LOL. Am. Crow: 1936 DH 10 Mar; 989 DH 13 Mar; max 2052 DH 16 Mar (WF). Fish Crow: 4 Phx 30 Apr, 2 May (GD), new loc; 2 Bville 10 May (JB); max 6 Liverpool 12 Apr (DN). Com. Raven: 3 DH 11 Mar, 30 May; max 4 Ohio 5 Apr; 3 TR 3 May; 3 Delphi Falls 29 May. Horned Lark: 125 Fabius 8 Mar; 55 Dolge 10 March; max 150 Marietta 28 Mar; best numbers from SH & s. HERK. Purple Martin: arr & max 15 DH 9, 30 May; 10 Cleveland 20 May; 10 Const 20 May; most reports from OneiL and DH. Tree Swallow: arr 2 Syr 25 Mar; 200 CM 21 Apr; max 500 Phx 23 Apr; 300 DH 29 Apr. N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr Bville 11 Apr; max 15 Utica 21 May; 15 Phx 20 May. Bank Swallow: arr DH 13 Apr; 9 TR 19 May; 11 New Woodstock 28 May; max 70 Phx 31 May. Cliff Swallow: arr 7 Phx 21 Apr; max 15 SVB 9 May; 12 Phx 20, 31 May; 6 Fairfield 25 May. Barn Swallow: arr DH 2 Apr; max 40 Phoenix 20, 31 May. Black-capped Chickadee: 26 HI 2 Mar; 36 SH 7 Mar; max 291 DH 13 Apr, migrants. Tufted Titmouse: max 6 BLNC 9 Apr; SFNS 10 – 21 May. Red-breasted Nuthatch: 4 SVB 12 Apr; max 5 OF 17 May; 4 SBP 3 May. White-breasted Nuthatch: 9 HI 2 Mar; max 13 DH 13 Apr. Brown Creeper: 10 Cam 6 Mar; 5 SH 12 Apr; 5 GB 8 May. Carolina Wren: DL 8 Mar, unusual loc; singles mostly from expected areas. House Wren: arr Bville 16 Apr; max 8 SFNS 14, 21 May. Winter Wren: max 2 TR 16 Apr, NS 30 Apr, WH 2 – 24 May, 2 Waterville 12 May, 2 OF 25 May; low numbers. Marsh Wren: arr CM 7 May; 2 Port Ontario 12 May; 2 SSSP 16, 24 May; 2 WP 30 May; max 6 CM 16 May; generally low numbers. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: arr SBP 16 Apr; max 13 HI 8 May.

Golden-crowned Kinglet: max 15 Memphis 11 Apr. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: arr SFNS 11 Apr; max 25 SBP 3 May; last DH 16 May. E. Bluebird: 5 Elbridge 4 Mar; 6 GLSP 16 Apr; max 30 DH 25 May. Veery: arr VanBuren 5 May; max 10 Cam 14 May. Gray-cheeked Thrush: arr CM 10 May; SFNS 22 May; max 2 Osw 24 May; SSSP 24 May; CM 25 May; last SBP 25 May. Swainson's Thrush: arr 2 Mexico 5 May; 4 SFNS 15 May; 5 ADK 24 May; max 6 SBP 26 May. Hermit Thrush: Elbridge 4 Mar, wintered; arr Scriba 10 Apr; 8 SBP 17 Apr; max 9 NS 1 May & SH 16 May. Wood Thrush: arr Bville 1 May; max 25 HI 8 May. Am. Robin: max 2902 DH 7 Apr; 500 DH 9, 10 Apr; 72 Const 12 Apr; 77 CM 16 May. Gray Catbird: arr BLNC 20 Apr; 27 TR 8 May; 20 GB 8, 9 May; max 50 CM 16 May (DN); 40 Utica 21 May. N. Mockingbird: 1 DH 4 May, presumed migrating; max 3 Syr 21 Apr; 3 GLSP 7 May; most from greater Syr. Brown Thrasher: arr GLSP 15 Apr; 4 SP 18 Apr; 3 SFNS 2 May; max 7 GLSP 8 May. European Starling: 1400 DB 30 Mar; 500 Fabius 21 Mar; max 2000 DH 2 Apr. Am. Pipit: arr Lysander 16 Mar; 18 Dolge 13 May; max 40 Little Falls 14 May; 30 DB 14 May; 5 other locs. Cedar Waxwing: 250 Syr 5 May; max 800 DH 25 May; 83 Phoenix 30 May.

LONGSPURS - WARBLERS Lapland Longspur: DH 10 Apr (JT, ph), only report. Snow Bunting: max 100 Fabius 8 Mar; last 4 DH 7 Apr. Ovenbird: arr TR 1 May; max 22 HF 16 May. Louisiana Waterthrush: arr Pompey 14 Apr; max 2 TOnondaga 18 Apr; 2 Canas 8 May; reports from about a dozen locs. N. Waterthrush: arr TR 21 Apr; max 21 TR 5 May. Golden-winged Warbler: arr SBP 3 May; GB 6-9 May; Volney 23-25 May; only reports. Blue-winged Warbler: arr SFNS, GLSP, DH 4 May; max 7 GB 7 May.3 “Brewster's” Warbler: GLSP 8 May; GB 22 May; Scriba 23 May. “Lawrence's” Warbler: GB 6 – 14 May (GD, mob).


Black-and-white Warbler: arr SFNS 26 Apr; max 6 Moss Lake 13 May. Tennessee Warbler: arr GLSP, GB 7 May; max 13 SBP 17 May; last SBP 25 May. Orange-crowned Warbler: SSSP 12 May (KM); SBP 13 May (WF); Cam 16 May; last SBP 17 May (WF); only reports. Nashville Warbler: arr TR 1 May; max 7 TR 5 May. Mourning Warbler: arr GB 6 May; max 4 WH 19, 24 May. Com. Yellowthroat: arr 2 Syr 1 May; max 42 CM 16 May. Hooded Warbler: arr SFNS, WH 6 May; max 6 GB 9 May. Am. Redstart: arr DeWitt 1 May; max 28 SBP 25 May. Cape May Warbler: arr 2 DH, SBP 4 May; max 3 SBP 17 May; last 2 DH 18 May. Cerulean Warbler: arr DB 2 May; max 15 HI 8 May (JB). N. Parula: arr NS 29 Apr; max 5 Lake Rondaxe, ADK 17 May. Magnolia Warbler: arr SNC 3 May; max 7 SBP 25 May; Bay-breasted Warbler: arr GB 7 May; 6 SFNS 14 May; max 7 Utica 15 May; last Const 26 May. Blackburnian Warbler: arr TR 2 May; max 12 HF 16 May; overall nums seem low. Yellow Warbler: arr DeWitt 29 Apr; 32 GLSP 8 May; 30 GB 8 May. Chestnut-sided Warbler: arr SH 28 Apr; max 13 SH 7 May. Blackpoll Warbler: arr LOL, GLSP 11 May; max 7 FH 22 May; SFNS 31 May. Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr Amboy 26 Apr; 6 SFNS 15 May; max 9 HF 16 May. Palm Warbler: arr DH 13 Apr; max 16 DH 5 May; last GLSP, DH 16 May. Pine Warbler: arr SVB 12 Apr; max 17 DH 13 Apr. Yellow-rumped Warbler: DH 12 Mar (WF), presume wintered; arr Cam, DH, Caz 13 Apr; max 100 DH 5 May. Prairie Warbler: arr HV 15 May thru; Tully 19 May (DA); only reports. Black-throated Green Warbler: arr DeWitt 30 Apr; max 8 SH 7 May; relatively low numbers. Canada Warbler: arr SH 7 May; max 3 OF 25 May. Wilson’s Warbler: arr Verona, CM, SBP, DH 9 May; max 3 SBP 9 May & DH 9, 19 May.

TOWHEES - WEAVERS E. Towhee: arr CM 31 Mar; max 12 TR 1 May. Am. Tree Sparrow: max 37 Dolge 3 Mar; last Williamstown 4 May. Chipping Sparrow: arr DH 3 Apr; max 26 SBP 3 May. Clay-colored Sparrow: arr DH 4 May (DW, BP, WF); TR 14-16 May (GD, mob); GLSP 6, 7, 16 May; max 5 SFNS 26 May. Field Sparrow: arr TR 11 Apr; max 10 Manlius 14 Apr. Vesper Sparrow: arr 2 UM, LOL, Bville 10 Apr; 4 DB 11, 14 Apr; 4 Manheim 11 Apr; 3 Dolge 11 Apr; 3 LOL 17 Apr; max 5 DH 21 Apr. Savannah Sparrow: arr Dolge 3 Apr; max 7 Little Falls 14 Apr & Tully 1 May. Grasshopper Sparrow: arr Fenner 3 May; max 2 Hastings 7 May; singles at 6 other locs. Fox Sparrow: arr Bville 28 Mar; max 9 NS 17 Apr; last SNC 6 May. Song Sparrow: migrants arrive last wk of Mar; 35 TR 9 Apr; max 40 DH 10 Apr. Lincoln's Sparrow: arr TR 6 May; max 2 DH 15 May; last Trenton 25 May; singles at 11 other locs. Swamp Sparrow: arr Fairfield 8 Apr; max 41 CM 16 May. White-throated Sparrow: max 50 SBP 4 May; 30 DH 4 May. White-crowned Sparrow: SH 13 Mar, wintered; arr Pulaski 30 Mar (JCh); max 36 SBP 16 May; last Dolge 25 May. Dark-eyed Junco: 62 GLSP 12 Mar; max 77 Dolge 23 Apr. Scarlet Tanager: arr WH 3 May; max 12 DH 8 May. N. Cardinal: 19 GLSP 29 Mar; max 21 CM 16 May. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: arr 2 SH 28 Apr; max 8 HI 8 May & SBP 16 May. Indigo Bunting: arr TR 3 May; max 9 DH 15 May. Bobolink: arr Verona, TR 3 May; max 35 DH 15 May. Red-winged Blackbird: arr Memphis, DH 11 Mar; 1650 OnonL 25 Mar; 500 Phoenix 31 Mar; max 10000 DH 2 Apr (DW). E. Meadowlark: arr DH 25 Mar; max 22 DH 10 Apr. YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD: m. Caz 25 Apr (PW). Rusty Blackbird: arr TR 16 Mar; max 250 TR 11 Apr; last DH 8 May. Com. Grackle: arr Clinton, DH 13 Mar; max 10800 Phx 5 Apr (BP); 1680 DH 7 Apr; 400 TR


12 Apr. Brown-headed Cowbird: arr Dolge 12 Mar; max 220 DH 12 Apr. Orchard Oriole: arr 2 DB 3 May; max 3 GLSP 8, 16 May; 2 DH 8 May; 2 DB 14 May; singles at 6 other locs; 2 east of OneiL. Baltimore Oriole: arr 2 DH 1 May; max 150 DH 8 May (JT). blackbird species: max 10000 CM 2 Apr. Purple Finch: 30 DH 13 Apr; 21 Dolge 23 Apr; 20 SH 28 Apr. House Finch: 24 Westmoreland 2 Mar; max 25

DH 13 Apr. Com. Redpoll: 67 Const 4 Mar; 75 BLNC 7 Mar; 145 DH 11 Mar (WF); max 150 TMexico 20 Mar (WF); 70 Dolge 9 Apr; last SH 28 Apr. Pine Siskin: max 200 DH 13 Apr (DWe); 25 DH 25 May; some may nest locally. Am. Goldfinch: max 300 DH 8 May (JT). Evening Grosbeak: max 13 Norway 22 Mar; 7 SH 24 Mar; 8 Const 22 Apr (MS); last 5 Cleveland 5 May; 2 other locs. House Sparrow: max 101 Syr 20 Apr.

DERBY HILL HAWK MIGRATION TOTALS

Species Arrival Max Max Date Total Black Vulture 19 Mar 2 X 3 Turkey Vulture 10 Mar 4108 3 Apr 22,226 Osprey 27 Mar 70 9 May 404 Bald Eagle 11 Mar 69 8 May 469 N. Harrier 14 Mar 46 2 Apr 331 Sharp-sh. Hawk 16 Mar 458 13 Apr 2329 Cooper's Hawk 6 Mar 102 25 Mar 313 N. Goshawk 16 Mar 2 16 Mar 9 Red-sh. Hawk 13 Mar 168 25 Mar 541 Broad-wng. Hawk 12 Apr 5074 21 Apr 15573 Red-tailed Hawk 6 Mar 461 2 Apr 3637 Rough-lgd. Hawk 10 Mar 40 2 Apr 170 Golden Eagle 16 Mar 19 13 Apr 59 Am. Kestrel 10 Mar 74 13 Apr 333 Merlin 10 Mar 12 20 Apr 61 Peregrine Falcon 16 Mar 1 X 10 Total, inc. unid. 46,483

===

REGION 6—ST. LAWRENCE

Jeffrey S. Bolsinger

98 State Street, Canton NY 13617 [email protected]

Spring started out very cold and ended very warm but was consistently dry throughout. February’s exceptional cold continued into March, with three subzero nights during the first week of the month. Somewhat milder conditions prevailed for the following 10 days, but another cold snap starting 19 March saw nighttime temperatures drop into the single digits five nights in one week. Watertown’s mean temperature for March was 24.0° F, which is 6.9° below


normal. April was also colder than normal but not so extreme, with a mean monthly temperature that was just 1.4° below normal. In a repeat of the previous spring, persistently cool weather suddenly gave way to very warm temperatures in early May, with a monthly high of 89° on 10 May, temperatures reaching or exceeding 80° on another 12 days, and a monthly mean temperature 6.5° above normal. Precipitation was infrequent all spring, with less than one inch in March and less than two inches during each April and May. For the season, Watertown received 4.6" of precipitation, just shy of half of normal. For the second year in a row, persistent ice and snow cover that lasted into April in most parts of the Region left few places for ducks to stop during the first few weeks of the waterfowl migration. It is not clear whether the relatively late arrival dates for a few species of dabbling ducks is a function of an actual late arrival, or that migrating ducks had nowhere to stop and simply flew over the places where they would have stopped had habitat been available. Compared with last March, fewer exhausted or emaciated waterfowl and waterbirds were reported from upland areas, but there were a few, including a Red-necked Grebe picked up along the side of a Colton road on 1 March. Among the season’s most notable waterfowl sightings were a Barrow’s Goldeneye off Point Peninsula on 9 April and a male Eurasian Wigeon in Chippewa Bay on 26 April. It was a good spring for loons and grebes. Red-necked Grebe often goes unreported in Region 6 during spring, so two sightings in early April were welcome. Grebes have been reported in increasing numbers the past few years, although whether this represents increasing numbers or better coverage of a few favored locations is not clear. One such location is the confluence of Coles Creek and the St. Lawrence River, where on 2 May I counted 146 Horned Grebes and 11 Red-necked Grebes, the former tally representing the highest spring count I am aware of for Region 6. On 24 May Daniel Miller found a Glossy Ibis at Ashland Flats WMA that was seen by many birders over the subsequent 24 hours. Lee Ellsworth missed the ibis during his chase but shortly afterward checked a site on Pillar Point about 10 miles away, where one was seen last year, and was surprised to actually find a Glossy Ibis. It was later determined that Lee saw this ibis at the exact time a group of birders was watching the Ashland ibis, confirming the presence of two individuals. I was unable to obtain any solid information supporting persistent rumors that these two ibis soon joined together and moved to Perch River WMA for the rest of May. Also not quite fully substantiated was a small white egret Brian Miller saw from State Highway 3 at South Sandy Creek that was a little too distant for a good photo, although the blurry photo he obtained certainly seems to show a Snowy Egret. NYSDEC lowered the water levels on several pools at Wilson Hill WMA in April, resulting in better shorebird habitat than is usually seen anywhere in Region 6 during the spring. Unfortunately, the best pools were in off-limits areas and not accessible to birders, but Greg Lawrence was working on a project for NYSDEC and therefore able to document shorebird occurrence and numbers.


Thanks to Greg’s observations more shorebird species were reported this spring than in any recent year. Among Greg’s high counts were 189 Semipalmated Plovers and 283 Dunlin on 25 May and 245 Semipalmated Sandpipers on 28 May, all tallies far higher than any documented in the Region in more than a decade. Among the more unusual species at Wilson Hill were Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, and Wilson’s Phalarope, all represented by single individuals. Two additional Ruddy Turnstone reports came from Lakeview WMA and Little Galloo Island, for better than usual documentation of this species during its northward passage through the Region. Snowy Owls persisted in good numbers in western Jefferson County through late March but then rapidly departed the Region, and, unlike 2014, there were no reports of individuals lingering after early April. As was the case all winter, the great majority of reports were from western Jefferson County, with a second cluster in the Black River Valley of Lewis County. Shortly after the last Snowy Owl left Fort Drum the first Short-eared Owl arrived, and by season’s end it was clear that at least two and possibly more Short-eared Owl breeding territories were present on the installation. The most unusual passerine of the season was a White-eyed Vireo that I found on Fort Drum on 21 May that remained for at least a week but was generally uncooperative, allowing few to see it. At least a couple of late-season Hoary Redpolls were documented, including a Hornemann’s Hoary Redpoll Nick Leone found in Cape Vincent on 2 April. Modest numbers of Red Crossbills were present in April and May, with most reports coming from Fort Drum. Rounding out the songbird highlights was a singing male Connecticut Warbler on Fort Drum on 29 May, the second spring record from the installation, the first also having come from the last week of May. The average arrival date for a subset of species for which arrival dates are compared annually (93 species, of which reasonable arrival dates were obtained in Region 6 this year for 88 species) was 25 April, the same as 2014 and two days earlier than the long-term average for Region 6. As was the case in 2014, many species that typically arrive before late April arrived later than average, but most species that normally arrive in late April and May were early. Common Gallinule, Spotted Sandpiper, and Northern Waterthrush set new early arrival records, and Semipalmated Plover and Mourning Warbler tied early arrival dates. I am not quite sure what to make of the Marsh Wren Mary Beth Warburton and Joan Collins heard singing in Potsdam on 31 March, a date that is a full month earlier than the record early arrival date. It is hard to imagine that this bird migrated north so much earlier than usual at a time of the season when most other species were arriving late, but it is equally difficult to believe that this bird survived an exceptionally harsh North Country winter. For the season I received reports of 234 species, two shy of the recent record high tally from 2013. Obvious highlights of the season include the Glossy Ibis seen by many and the improved shorebirding at Wilson Hill, although the lack of access for birders at this site was a major disappointment. Research


projects on Fort Drum involving Golden-winged Warblers and Eastern Whip-poor-wills and a NYSDEC project monitoring St. Lawrence River grasslands brought many birders and bird researchers to Region 6 this summer, and the influx of birders was greatly appreciated by at least some of the Region’s birders.

CONTRIBUTORS Ramona Bearor, Adam Bleau, Jeff Bolsinger, Richard & Marion Brouse, Matthew Brown, Carol Cady, Jay Chapman, Joan Collins. Mary Curtis, Ben Dixon, Jacob Drucker, Lee Ellsworth, Kurt Fox, Matthew Fuirst, Rick Gould, Day Hills, Greg Lawrence, Nick Leone, Nancy Loomis, Brian Miller, Daniel Miller, Anne Moomey, Fred Ossman, Bill Purcell, Mandi Roggie, Linnea Rowse, Gerry Smith, Antony Shrimpton, Taylor Sturm, Dave Tetlow, May Beth Warburton, Tom & Eileen Wheeler, Fred Wilhelm.

ABBREVIATIONS AFWMA – Ashland Flats WMA; BI – Barnhart I, T Massena, STLA; BRV – Black River Valley; CB – Chaumont Barrens Preserve; CCSP – Coles Creek SP; CPSP – Cedar Point SP; CV – T Cape Vincent, JEFF; CWF – Canton Wastewater Treatment Facility; ED – El Dorado Shores Preserve, T Ellisburg, JEFF; FCWMA – Fish Creek WMA; FD – Fort Drum Military Reservation, JEFF & LEWI; FL – Fisher’s Landing, T Orleans; GPSP – Grass Point SP; HP – Hawkins Pt, T Massena; ICNC – Indian Creek Nature Center, T Canton, STLA; JCSP – Jacques Cartier SP; KC – Kelsey Creek, T Watertown; KPSP – Kring Pt SP; LC – Limerick Cedars Preserve; LGI – Little Galloo I; LWMA – Lakeview WMA; MM – Massawepie Mire, T Colton & Piercefield, STLA; PilPt – Pillar Pt; PRGC – Partridge Run Golf Course, T Canton, STLA; PRWMA – Perch Ri WMA, JEFF; PtPen – Pt Peninsula, T Lyme, JEFF; RWSP – Robert G. Wehle SP; SLR – St. Lawrence Ri; StPt – Stony Pt, T Henderson, JEFF; ULLWMA – Upper & Lower Lakes WMA; WHWMA – Wilson Hill WMA; WI – Wellesley I.

WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES Snow Goose: 15 arr PRWMA 24 Mar; max approx100,000 T Hounsfield & Ellisburg 31 Mar (NL); Brant: several flocks over FD 12 - 22 May. Cackling Goose: 2 with Canada Geese over FD 2 Apr (JB). Mute Swan: max 9 FL 20 Mar. Trumpeter Swan: 3 SLR T Ogdensburg 8 Mar; 2 T Brownville 24 Mar; only reports away from PRWMA & ULLWMA nesting areas. Tundra Swan: 3 GPSP 20 Mar; 3 PRWMA 24 Mar; 2 T Brownville 22-31 Mar; only reports. Wood Duck: arr PRWMA, ULLWMA, & Brownville 18 Mar. Gadwall: arr GPSP 28 Mar. Eurasian Wigeon: ad male Chippewa Bay 26 April (JB). Am. Wigeon: arr CPSP 28 Mar.

Am. Black Duck: max 82 ULLWMA 8 Apr. Mallard: max 455 HP 29 Mar. Blue-winged Teal: arr 2 T Ellisburg 29 Mar. N. Shoveler: arr CPSP 28 Mar. N. Pintail: fem FD thru 9 Mar, overwintered; 2 T Ellisburg 10 & 20 Mar, likely overwintering birds; arr FL 25 Mar. Green-winged Teal: overwintering pr FD thru 9 Mar; arr BRV 3 Apr. Redhead: max 88 FL 20 Mar. Ring-necked Duck: arr FL 16 Mar; max 347 FL 5 Apr. Greater Scaup: max 500 PtPen 5 Apr; last PRWMA 6 May. Lesser Scaup: max 140 Chippewa Bay 26 Apr. Surf Scoter: 2 SLR T Ogdensburg 26 Apr (JB), only report.


White-winged Scoter: 3 PtPen 16 Apr; 3 JCSP 3 May; last 5 SLR T Waddington 24 May; only reports. Long-tailed Duck: 120 StPt 16 May, high for so late. Bufflehead: last 5 ULLWMA 7 May. Com. Goldeneye: last CV 20 May. Barrow’s Goldeneye: ad male PilPt 9 Apr, only report (NL). Hooded Merganser: arr KC 19 Mar. Red-breasted Merganser: max 133 GPSP 20 Mar. Red-throated Loon: KPSP 5 Apr; PilPt 11 Apr; only reports. Com. Loon: arr PtPen 5 Apr. Pied-billed Grebe: arr PRWMA 6 Apr. Horned Grebe: arr PtPen 9 Apr; max 146 SLR off CCSP 2 May, possible Reg high. Red-necked Grebe: apparently tired but uninjured bird on side road T Colton 1 Mar, picked up and released on Raquette River (FW); next report T Watertown 13 Apr; max 11 SLR off CCSP 2 May. Double-crested Cormorant: arr SLR 5 Apr. Am. Bittern: arr T Canton 13 Apr; scarce before 28 Apr. Least Bittern: arr T Potsdam 4 May. Great Blue Heron: several reports before 20 Mar, possibly winter survivors; widespread arr 27-31 Mar. Great Egret: arr CV 30 Apr. SNOWY EGRET (R6): small egret apparently this species although photo not sharp South Sandy Creek 16 April (BM, photo). Green Heron: arr PRWMA 29 Apr. Black-crowned Night-Heron: arr PRWMA 29 Apr. GLOSSY IBIS (R6): AFWMA 24-25 May (DM, mob); 2nd found PilPt 25 May seen at exact time AFWMA bird also seen (LE). Turkey Vulture: arr T Watertown 11 Mar.

HAWKS - LARIDS Osprey: arr PRWMA 3 Apr. N. Harrier: virtually absent until last week Mar. N. Goshawk: FD 13 Mar, 3 Apr & 28 Apr; Brasher SF 16 Mar. Red-shouldered Hawk: arr FD 31 Mar. Broad-winged Hawk: arr FD & WI 13 Apr. Rough-legged Hawk: last FD 4 May. Golden Eagle: ad PRGC 30 Mar; imm FD 11 & 30 Mar, 29 May. Virginia Rail: arr ULLWMA 18 Apr. Sora: arr ULLWMA 26 Apr.

Com. Gallinule: arr PRWMA 13 Apr; record early. Am. Coot: continuing FD last seen alive 3 Mar and died soon after; next PRWMA 13 Apr, where 1-2/day May. Sandhill Crane: 2 T Madrid 20 Apr (TW, EW); FCWMA 1 May (AB); 2 ULLWMA 5 May thru (BD, JB). Black-bellied Plover: max 35 WHWMA 28 May (GL, JB). Semipalmated Plover: arr ULLWMA 10 May, tied record early arrival date; max 189 WHWMA 25 May (GL). Killdeer: arr PRGC & T Ellisburg 10 Mar. Spotted Sandpiper: arr T Watertown 19 Apr, record early. Solitary Sandpiper: arr T Pamelia 10 May; few reports. Greater Yellowlegs: arr T Potsdam 12 Apr; max 21 T Hounsfield 6 May (TS). Lesser Yellowlegs: arr CV 17 Apr; max 11 T Hounsfield 6 May (TS). Upland Sandpiper: arr T Lyme 17 Apr; T Canton 29 May, where no records in many years. Whimbrel: WHWMA 28 May (JB, GL), only report. Ruddy Turnstone: LGI 26 May (AB); WHWMA 26 May (GL); LWMA 23 May (MB). Dunlin: arr Ogden Island 21 May; max 283 WHWMA 25 May (GL). Least Sandpiper: arr T Croghan 3 May; max 89 WHWMA 25 May (GL). Pectoral Sandpiper: 2 WHWMA 23 May, only report. Semipalmated Sandpiper: arr T Pamelia 10 May; max 245 WHWMA 28 May (GL, JB). Short-billed Dowitcher: 2 WHWMA 26 May, only report. Wilson’s Snipe: arr WI 6 Apr. Am. Woodcock: arr T Dekalb 31 Mar. Wilson’s Phalarope: WHWMA 24-25 May (GL, JB). Bonaparte’s Gull: arr T Lowville 17 Apr; max 108 SLR off Oak Point 26 Apr. Ring-billed Gull: arr FD 11 Mar; scarce until last week Mar. Iceland Gull: SLR T Massena 1 Mar (JB), only report. Caspian Tern: arr PRWMA 13 Apr. Black Tern: arr ULLWMA 7 May. Com. Tern: arr CWF 25 Apr.


PIGEONS - PARROTS Yellow-billed Cuckoo: T Gouverneur 21 May, only report. Black-billed Cuckoo: arr FD 11 May. E. Screech-Owl: T Watertown 27 Apr; FD 1 May. Snowy Owl: last T Philadelphia 8 Apr. Short-eared Owl: at least 2 FD 17 Apr thru. N Saw-whet Owl: ULLWMA 13 Apr, only report. Com. Nighthawk: arr FD 14 May. E. Whip-poor-will: arr T Gouverneur 29 Apr. Chimney Swift: arr FD 30 Apr. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr T Watertown 4 May. Belted Kingfisher: arr FD 2 Apr. Red-headed Woodpecker: FD arrival dates difficult to determine because of the presence of multiple overwintering individuals. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: arr T Croghan 11 Apr. N. Flicker: scarce until 13 Apr. Am. Kestrel: CCSP 9 Mar, possibly winter survivor; sev rep 20-23 Mar, likely new arrivals. Merlin: arr T Brownville 22 Mar. Peregrine Falcon: T Clayton 30 Apr, only report away from known nesting sites.

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr StPt 15 May. E. Wood-Pewee: arr FCWMA & T Watertown 9 May. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr FD 27 May. Alder Flycatcher: arr FD 14 May. Willow Flycatcher: arr AFWMA 12 May. Least Flycatcher: arr FD 4 May. E. Phoebe: arr FD & T Watertown 3 Apr. Great Crested Flycatcher: arr ICNC 3 May. E. Kingbird: arr T Watertown 27 Apr. N. Shrike: last T Canton 30 Mar. WHITE-EYED VIREO (R6): FD 21 May (JB, ph). Yellow-throated Vireo: arr ULLWMA 3 May. Blue-headed Vireo: arr T Parishville 30 Apr. Warbling Vireo: arr PtPen & T Croghan 4 May. Philadelphia Vireo: FD 13 May; 2 StPt 16 May. Red-eyed Vireo: arr CV & T Canton 8 May. Horned Lark: max 17 T Ellisburg 10 Mar; 2 locations FD 13 Apr & PRWMA 27 May, only reports after 1st week Apr. Purple Martin: arr T Canton 3 May. Tree Swallow: arr FD & PRGC 2 Apr.

N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr T Lowville 13 Apr. Bank Swallow: arr Ogden Island & T Lowville 2 May. Cliff Swallow: arr BI 24 Apr; scarce until May. Barn Swallow: arr FD 13 Apr. Tufted Titmouse: at Waddington feeder thru May, only report away from west JEFF & BRV. House Wren: arr KC 15 Apr; scarce until 7 May. Winter Wren: arr T Croghan 17 Apr. Marsh Wren: singing m T Potsdam 31 March (MNW, JC), winter survivor?; arr FCWMA 6 May. Carolina Wren: none before 19 May; reports from T Canton, T Waddington, & Cranberry L 19-21 May; 2 FD 30 May. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: first report ED 9 May, but arrival probably in Apr. Golden-crowned Kinglet: arr CV 11 Apr. Ruby-crowned Kinglet: arr FD & WI 13 Apr. E. Bluebird: arr T Carthage 2 Apr. Veery: arr CB 6 May. Gray-cheeked Thrush: heard over T Canton 28 May, only report. Swainson’s Thrush: arr LWMA 9 May. Hermit Thrush: arr T Dekalb 13 Apr. Wood Thrush: arr T Lyme 2 May. Gray Catbird: arr T Canton 2 May. Brown Thrasher: arr T Lyme 17 Apr. N. Mockingbird: arr FD 16 May. Am. Pipit: arr PRWMA 9 May; last FD 21 May. Bohemian Waxwing: max 1540 T Potsdam 7 Mar (KF, DT); last ULLWMA 19 Apr. Cedar Waxwing: few reports before May.

LONGSPURS - WARBLERS Snow Bunting: no reports after 10 Mar. Ovenbird: arr FCWMA 1 May. Louisiana Waterthrush: T Theresa 11 May, only report. N. Waterthrush: arr FD 23 Apr. Golden-winged Warbler: arr FD 4 May. Blue-winged Warbler: arr FD 4 May. Black-and-white Warbler: arr T Hopkinton 29 Apr. Tennessee Warbler: arr StPt 9 May. Orange-crowned Warbler: CV 18 May (BM), only report. Nashville Warbler: arr T Canton 3 May. Connecticut Warbler: singing male FD 29 May (JB), 2nd spring record FD. Mourning Warbler: arr FD 13 May. Com. Yellowthroat: arr ICNC 3 May.


Hooded Warbler: arr ED 9 May; max 3 T Lorraine 15 May. Am. Redstart: arr ICNC 3 May. Cape May Warbler: arr CB 12 May. Cerulean Warbler: arr T Dekalb 7 May. N. Parula: arr CV & T Croghan 8 May. Magnolia Warbler: arr CV 8 May. Bay-breasted Warbler: arr T Pinckney 8 May. Blackburnian Warbler: arr T Croghan 4 May. Yellow Warbler: arr T Watertown 1 May. Chestnut-sided Warbler: arr FD 5 May. Blackpoll Warbler: arr LWMA 9 May. Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr T Watertown 1 May. “Western” Palm Warbler: arr FD & T Watertown 1 May. “Yellow” Palm Warbler”: many on territory MM 26 Apr. Pine Warbler: arr FD & WI 13 Apr. Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr FD 10 Apr. Prairie Warbler: arr FD 5 May. Black-throated Green Warbler: arr FD, ICNC, & T Croghan 4 May. Canada Warbler: arr FD 11 May. Wilson’s Warbler: arr LWMA 9 May.

TOWHEES - WEAVERS E. Towhee: arr T Potsdam 17 Apr. Am. Tree Sparrow: last ICNC 28 Apr. Chipping Sparrow: arr T Carthage 14 Apr. Clay-colored Sparrow: arr FD 6 May. Field Sparrow: arr FD & WI 13 Apr. Vesper Sparrow: arr FD 13 Apr. Savannah Sparrow: arr FD 13 Apr. Grasshopper Sparrow: arr FD 1 May.

Henslow’s Sparrow: arr FD 4 May; PRWMA 9 May thru, only other location. Fox Sparrow: arr FD & T Croghan 13 Apr; last ICNC 3 May. Song Sparrow: arr T Lyme 23 Mar. Lincoln’s Sparrow: arr LWMA 9 May. Swamp Sparrow: arr ULLWMA 12 Apr. White-throated Sparrow: arr PtPen 16 Apr. White-crowned Sparrow: arr T Parishville 1 May. Scarlet Tanager: arr T Hounsfield 6 May. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: bird at different T Watertown feeders 1 & 11 Apr, thought to be winter survivor; arr CV 2 May. Indigo Bunting: arr RWSP 9 May. Bobolink: arr FD & PtPen 4 May. Red-winged Blackbird: arr T Leray 2 Mar. E. Meadowlark: arr CV 4 Apr. Rusty Blackbird: arr FD 3 Apr; max 80 ULLWMA 12 Apr; Com. Grackle: arr T Watertown 10 Mar. Brown-headed Cowbird: arr KC 1 Apr. Orchard Oriole: arr StPt 8 May; 4 other locations west JEFF. Baltimore Oriole: arr KC 4 May. Red Crossbill: Brasher SF 16 Mar; about a dozen reports FD 26 Mar thru; max 9 FD 14 May. Com. Redpoll: last T Canton 15 Apr. Hoary Redpoll: T Canton 8 Mar (TW, EW, ph); ULLWMA 8 Mar (JB); C.h. hornemanni CV 2 Apr (NL, report to NYSARC). Pine Siskin: max 23 T Canton 22 Mar. Evening Grosbeak: T Watertown feeder 11 Apr.

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REGION 7—ADIRONDACK-CHAMPLAIN

Michael B. Burgess

217 Hudson Hall, SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY 12903 [email protected]

The spring of 2015 began with significantly cooler than normal temperatures. In March, temperatures for the Region averaged 2-6° F below normal. The Region was drier than normal in March. Precipitation in the Region ranged from 25% to 75% of normal, with the majority of the Region experiencing 40% of normal precipitation. April continued to be cooler than normal throughout the Region. Temperatures ranged from 1-2° below normal for the Champlain Valley to 4° below normal in the Northern Plateau. Precipitation ranged from near average to


a low of 50% of normal in portions of the Northern Plateau. May was significantly warmer than normal. Temperatures for the Region ranged from 6° above normal in the Champlain Valley and the Northern Plateau to 4° above throughout the remainder of the Region. Precipitation ranged from near normal to slightly above normal for the Champlain Valley to 50% of normal in the Northern Plateau. The average arrival date for Spring 2015 was 28 April (27.93 April). This was about a day and a half earlier than last year’s average. A Black-billed Cuckoo observed on 5 May was the only record early arrival. A Tennessee Warbler reported on 1 May matched its earliest recorded arrival, which was set in 2011. Interestingly, the cooler than normal spring did not greatly affect spring arrivals, as about two thirds of the species monitored were early relative to their 29-year averages. Reports for the season do not indicate the occurrence of any major migrant fallouts. This season marked the 40th consecutive year the Crown Point Banding Station (CPBS) operated. The 2015 season opened on 8 May and closed on 23 May. Temperatures were more moderate than previous years. The CPBS was again surprisingly frost free. The CPBS banded a total of 672 individual birds (17 % more than 2014; 58 species). Over the last 40 years the CPBS has banded 18,604 individuals (108 species). The first six days of the 2015 season resulted in 66.6% of the total birds banded. The CPBS banded 15 warbler species, which was three less species than the 2014 season. Highlights from Region 7 included: a Greater White-fronted Goose reported from Crown Point on 2 April; a Golden Eagle reported from Keene on 4 April; and a Gyrfalcon reported from Cumberland Head on 7 March. Other notable sightings included: a Harlequin Duck reported from Cumberland Head on 18 March; two Barrow Goldeneyes reported from Cumberland Head on 13 March; two Black Terns reported from Alderon Marsh on 31 May; a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher reported from Noblewood Park on 26 April; and several Orchard Orioles reported from Crown Point between 14-18 May. Shorebird highlights from the Chazy Riverlands included five Short-billed Dowitchers and a Dunlin reported on 24 May, and a White-rumped Sandpiper reported on 28 May.

CONTRIBUTORS Alan Belford, Marian Bodine (MBo), Matt Brunelle, Michael B. Burgess, Ronald Bussian, Ken Chaisson, Gary Chapin (GCh), Glen Chapman, Malinda Chapman, Lindsey Duval, Kelly Forkey, Bianca Fournier, Mathew Fuirst, Larry & Barbara Hall, David Hejna, Judith Heintz, Ellen Jones, Bill Krueger, David Kucia, Kristen Leveille, Lewis Llolya, Nathan Martineau, Larry Master, Brian McAllister, Kevin McGrath, Sean McHugh; Matthew Medler (MMd), Michael Moccio, Jay Reisinger, Jonathan Rice, Stacey Robinson, Wayne & Nancy Rogers, Dana Rohleder, Jessica Sette, Connor Shea, Taylor Sturm, John & Pat Thaxton, Russel Winter (RWi); Rodney Woodin.


ABBREVIATIONS AP – Ausable Point; AM – Alderon Marsh; AT – Altona; BT – Bellmont Center; BBG – Bloomingdale Bog; BP – Black Pd; CH – Cumberland Head; CP – Crown Pt, CR – Chazy Riverlands; DI – Dickinson; GMtn – Giant Mountain; IndL – Indian L; IL – Intervale Lowlands; KN – Keene; KB – Kings Bay; LkArn – Lake Arnold; LC – La Chute; LkCl– Lake Clear; LkCol – Lake Colby; LP – Lake Placid; MM – Maple Meadows; MD – Mount Defiance; MP – Madawaska Pd; NP – Noblewood P; PU – Peru; PB – Plattsburgh; PS – Paul Smiths; PtAuR – Point Au Roche SP; PH – Port Henry; SB – Sandy Beach; SL – Saranac L; TI – Ticonderoga; TL – Tupper L; WebSw – Webb Royce Swamp; WI – Willsboro; WP – Westport; WFMtn– Whiteface Mountain.

WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (R7): CP 2 Apr (SR). Snow Goose: max 600 DI 2 Apr (RW); last 2 CR 7 May (BK). Brant: 128 IndL 25 May (MM). Wood Duck: arr MM ESSE 8 Mar (SR); max 40 LC 2 Apr (SR) Gadwall: arr 3 CH 2 Apr (AB). Am. Wigeon: arr 2 CH 29 Mar (MBo). Am. Black Duck: max 74 DI 6 Mar (RW). Blue-winged Teal: arr 2 SL 22 Apr (RB); max 7 AM 29 Apr (JS). N. Shoveler: arr CP 3 Apr (SR); CR 3 May (BK). N. Pintail: arr CH 10 Mar (BK); max 10 AM 12 Apr (JR, JS, MF). Green-winged Teal: arr 22 LC 2 Apr (SR); max 100 CR 15 Apr (BK). Redhead: arr CP 7 Mar (SR) Ring-necked Duck: max 125 TL 17 Apr (RB). Greater Scaup: max 135 CH 13 Mar (BK). Lesser Scaup: max 15 CH 13 Mar (BK). Harlequin Duck: CH 18 Mar (BK). White-winged Scoter: CR 19 Apr (BK). Long-tailed Duck: arr & max 11 IndL 17 Apr (MM). Bufflehead: max 55 AP 5 Apr (DR). Com. Goldeneye: max 400 CH 31 Mar (BK). Barrow's Goldeneye: arr & max 2 CH 13 Mar (BK). Hooded Merganser: max 25 AT 18 Apr (KF). Com. Merganser: max 56 DI 6 Mar (RW). Red-breasted Merganser: arr 2 CH 12 Mar (MC, GC); max 24 WP 2 May (GCh). Wild Turkey: max 80 DI 5 Mar (RW). Com. Loon: max 9 NP 26 Apr (GCh). Pied-billed Grebe: arr 2 AP 5 Apr (DR). Horned Grebe: max 2 NP 26 Apr (GCh). Red-necked Grebe: arr TI 11 Apr (MC, GC); max 8 CP 24 Apr (SR).

Double-crested Cormorant: max 400 CP 23 Apr (SR). Am. Bittern: arr 2 IL 16 Apr (DH, DK) Great Blue Heron: max 8 AP 8 Apr (BM). Green Heron: CP 30 May (SR). Black-crowned Night-Heron: max 6 AM 29 Apr (JS). Turkey Vulture: arr 6 LkCl6 Mar (SM).

HAWKS – LARIDS Osprey: arr CP 2 Apr (SR). GOLDEN EAGLE (R7): KN 4 Apr (J& PT). Bald Eagle: max 4 TI 17 Apr (RB). N. Harrier: max 2 AM 12 Apr (JR, JS, MF). N. Goshawk: BBG 1 Apr (MF, LL). Red-shouldered Hawk: arr IndL 27 Mar (MM). Broad-winged Hawk: arr IL 14 Apr (LM). Rough-legged Hawk: max 6 DI 5 Mar (RW). Virginia Rail: arr 2 WebSw 2 May (GCh). Com. Gallinule: arr CR 30 Apr (BK). Semipalmated Plover: arr & max 29 CR 24 May (MMd). Spotted Sandpiper: arr LkCl30 Apr (SM). Solitary Sandpiper: arr PS 2 May (LM). Greater Yellowlegs: arr 2 PS 3 May (MF). Lesser Yellowlegs: arr CR 5 May (BK). Dunlin: arr CR 24 May (BK). Least Sandpiper: arr 2 CR 7 May (BK); max 55 CR 24 May (MMd). White-rumped Sandpiper: CR 28 May (BK). Semipalmated Sandpiper: arr 3 CR 28 May (BK). Short-billed Dowitcher: arr & max 5 CR 24 May (MMd). Am. Woodcock: arr CP 1 Apr (SR). Bonaparte's Gull: max 12 CP 26 Apr (GCh). Herring Gull: max 20 PB 31 Mar (BK). Iceland Gull: PB 31 Mar (BK). Great Black-backed Gull: max 4 SB 16 Apr (SR).


Caspian Tern: arr 2 SB 16 Apr (SR); max 34 NP 29 Apr (J&PT). Black Tern: 3 AM 31 May (LL, BF). Com. Tern: arr 2 AP 14 May (KM).

PIGEONS - PARROTS Yellow-billed Cuckoo: arr MD 9 May (GCh). Black-billed Cuckoo: arr BT FRAN 5 May (W&NR), Reg. record early. Great Horned Owl: LkCl12 Mar (SM); max 2 IL 15 May (LM). Barred Owl: max 4 BP (MF, DK, JS). N. Saw-whet Owl: PS 8 Apr (BM). Com. Nighthawk: arr Indian Bay Marina ESSE 24 May (MMd). Chimney Swift: arr 4 May TI (MC). Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr TI 3 May (GC, MC). Belted Kingfisher: arr MM 3 Apr (SR). Red-bellied Woodpecker: TI 1 Mar (GC, MC). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: arr KN 9 Apr (J&PT). Black-backed Woodpecker: max 2 BBG 17 may (LD). N. Flicker: arr CP 4 Apr (SR). Am. Kestrel: arr WP 29 Mar (J&PT). Merlin: max 2 LkCl10 Apr (SM). GYRFALCON: CH 7 Mar (GCh). Peregrine Falcon: PB 8 Mar (JH).

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr & max 3 MP 29 May (BM, KL). E. Wood-Pewee: arr CP 7 May (SR). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr 4 LkArn 20 May (JR). Alder Flycatcher: arr IL 16 May (LM). Willow Flycatcher: arr AP 14 May (BK). Least Flycatcher: arr TI 4 May (GC, MC). E. Phoebe: arr LC 2 Apr (SR). Great Crested Flycatcher: arr 5 KB 7 May (BK). E. Kingbird: arr PtAuR1 May (JH). N. Shrike: last CP 10 Apr (SR). Yellow-throated Vireo: AP 10 May (MMd), only report. Blue-headed Vireo: arr 4 TI 14 Apr (GC). Warbling Vireo: arr 4 KN 5 May (J&PT). Red-eyed Vireo: arr The Notch HAMI 5 May (KC). Gray Jay: max 7 BBG 21 Mar (RWi). Horned Lark: last 4 CP 2 Apr (SR). Tree Swallow: arr 50 Rouses Pt 2 Apr (ABR).

N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr TI 16 Apr (MC). Bank Swallow: arr IL 6 May (LM). Cliff Swallow: arr 2 SB 24 Apr (SR). Barn Swallow: arr 2 TI 13 Apr (MC). Boreal Chickadee: max 2 GMtn12 Apr (CS). Tufted Titmouse: max 5 TI 13 Apr (MC). House Wren: arr Reagan Flats Rd FRAN (RSc, HvdZ). Winter Wren: arr LkCol 13 Apr (AB). Carolina Wren: TI 24 Mar (GC, MC). Marsh Wren: arr IL 17 April (AB). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: NP 26 Apr (GCh). Golden-crowned Kinglet: max 20 BBG 27 May (NM). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: arr TI 13 Apr (GC, MC). Veery: arr IL 11 May (LL). Bicknell’s Thrush: arr & max 4 WFMtn26 May (NM). Swainson's Thrush: arr 2 BBG 23 May (TS). Hermit Thrush: arr MD 16 Apr (SR). Wood Thrush: arr MD 4 May (GC). Gray Catbird: arr TI 2 May (GCh). Brown Thrasher: arr KN 19 Apr (J&PT). N. Mockingbird: PS May 7 (JS, MF). Am. Pipit: arr 6 NP 7 May (GC); max 22 IL 11 May (LL). Cedar Waxwing: max 40 PH 1 Mar (SR).

LONGSPURS – WARBLERS Snow Bunting: last & max 75 LkCl 13 Mar (JR). Ovenbird: arr 2 MD 2 May (GC). Louisiana Waterthrush: TI 19 Apr (GC). N. Waterthrush: arr Gabriels (powerline cut) FRAN 3 May (LL). Golden-winged Warbler: WP 22 May (J&PT). Blue-winged Warbler: TI 1 May (GC, MC). Tennessee Warbler: arr Rt 10 HAMI 1 May (L&BH), ties Reg record early. Nashville Warbler: arr PS 2 May (LM). Mourning Warbler: CP 12 May (GC, MC). Com. Yellowthroat: arr 5 AP 5 May (BK). Am. Redstart: arr Good Luck Lake HAMI 3 May (MBr); max 6 PU 17 May (MB). Cape May Warbler: arr MD 9 May (GC). N. Parula: arr Good Luck Lake HAMI 3 May (MBr). Magnolia Warbler: arr PS 5 May; max 20 WFMtn 26 May (NM). Bay-breasted Warbler: arr MD 9 May (GCh). Blackburnian Warbler: arr TI 3 May (G&MC). Yellow Warbler: arr WP 2 May (GC).


Chestnut-sided Warbler: arr PB 6 May (MB); max 8 DI 17 May (RW). Blackpoll Warbler: arr MD 15 May (GC). Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr Rt 10 HAMI 1 May (L&BH). Palm Warbler: arr LkCl13 Apr (AB). Pine Warbler: arr TI 13 Apr (MC). Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr CP 15 Apr (SR). Prairie Warbler: arr MD 9 May (GCh). Black-throated Green Warbler: arr TI 1 May (GC). Canada Warbler: arr MD 15 May (GCh). Wilson’s Warbler: arr CP 12 May (GC, MC).

TOWHEES - WEAVERS

E. Towhee: arr 10 MD 16 Apr (SR). Am. Tree Sparrow: max 14 SL 15 Mar (RB). Chipping Sparrow: arr The Nest ESSE 5 Apr (BU). Field Sparrow: arr IndL 17 Apr (MM). Vesper Sparrow: arr TI 7 Apr (GC, MC). Savannah Sparrow: arr 18 TI 9 Apr (GC). Fox Sparrow: arr SL 13 Apr (AB). Lincoln’s Sparrow: arr BT 2 May (NR). Swamp Sparrow: arr LkCl18 Apr (AB).

White-throated Sparrow: max 50 SL 1 May (RB). White-crowned Sparrow: arr CH 5 May (BK); max 6 CP 12 May (GC, MC). Scarlet Tanager: arr MD 7 May (MC). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: arr TI 1 May (MC). Indigo Bunting: arr home ESSE 8 May (GCh). Bobolink: arr CR 7 May (BK); max 18 CR 29 May (BK). Red-winged Blackbird: arr 73 DI 5 Mar (RW). E. Meadowlark: arr 4 WP 4 Apr (SR). Rusty Blackbird: arr IL 12 Apr (AB, LM); max 7 IL 17 Apr (LM). Brown-headed Cowbird: arr WP 29 Mar (J&PT). Orchard Oriole: CP 14 May (SR); max 3 CP 18 May (SR). Baltimore Oriole: arr 2 PB 6 May (MB); max 8 LC 14 May (SR). Purple Finch: max 14 IL 10 May (LM). Red Crossbill: TI 23 Mar (MC). Evening Grosbeak: max 10 WP 28 Apr (GC, MC).

===

REGION 8—HUDSON-MOHAWK

Will Yandik

269 Schneider Road, Hudson NY 12534 [email protected]

Spring 2015 began very cold and dry. March ended 5.2° F below average, with 1.96 fewer inches of precipitation. The last significant snowfall occurred on 28 March. April moderated to average temperatures and continued dry. The last frost of the season at Albany occurred on 25 April. Some large bodies of water, such as Saratoga Lake, did not break ice until April. May warmed up significantly, ending 7.3° above average. With 2.56 fewer inches of precipitation than average, it ended as one of the driest Mays at Albany since 1941. By spring’s end the Weather Service classified much of our Region as experiencing a moderate drought. Area lawns turned brown as if it were mid-summer and stream flows were noticeably low. Great Egrets are common spring and fall sightings throughout Region 8, but one spotted in Coxsackie, Greene County, reveals some interesting data about the migration and distribution patterns of this species in the Northeast. The bird was found with a blue wing tag and the bird was tracked down by Chip Weseloh and found to be from Nottawasaga Island, about 90 miles northwest of


Toronto near the town of Collingwood, Ontario, on the south end of Lake Huron. Frank Mitchell, moving to the Region from Maine, reported 60 Short-billed Dowitchers at the south end of Stanton Pond, Albany County, and did not fully realize how remarkable that number is for us. Will Raup speculated on a local listserv that the number may be a Region 8 maximum record, and he may be right. Although singles and a few birds have been reported off and on over the past decade, I believe the last record that comes even close was the 25 dowitchers I observed near Schodack Island, Rensselaer County, in May 2002 while canoeing for the second Atlas project. Mitchell reported that the birds did not tarry long. Many unusual shorebirds have few places to linger in our Region. The flock I spotted in 2002 on the Hudson alighted on a series of rotting dock pilings but for a few moments before resuming flight, flying a few meters above the water. What other shorebirds pass through our characteristically shorebird-poor Region when there are no eyes to see them? Bob Yunick reports one of the largest Black-capped Chickadee irruptions he has observed in his 40-plus years of banding at Jenny Lake, Saratoga. The majority of the 286 individual chickadees he captured up until May were immature (64 percent). He captured 72 in one day on 27 March. Many birders in the northern parts of Region 8 reported a modest Bohemian Waxwing irruption in late winter and early spring. Birders were excited to document several new locations for Golden-winged Warbler in the Region as well as both hybrids, “Brewster’s” and “Lawrence’s” Warbler, this spring. All were found singing and foraging in areas cohabitated by Blue-winged Warblers. The changes in distribution for this species group will be one of the interesting things to watch for as we prepare for New York’s third breeding bird atlas. Bill Cook reported from his compilation of sightings for the Alan Devoe Club that John Piwowarki noticed a redpoll with conjunctivitis at his feeder. He cites a Cornell study that found that 5-10 percent of House Finches have this disease, but redpolls were not mentioned. Both Purple Finches and American Goldfinches have been reported with conjunctivitis in our Region in recent years. Both Common Redpoll and Pine Siskin were abundantly reported by feeder watchers during March and early April when winter was slow to loosen its firm grasp this year.

CONTRIBUTORS

Steve Abrahamsen, Alan Devoe Bird Club monthly sighting reports, Larry Alden, Dave Baim, Hope Batchellor, Mona Bearor, Susan Beaudoin, Mimi Brauch, Alvin Breisch, Owen Brown, Gerry Colburn, Frank Conley, Bill Cook, eBIRD, Gordie Elmers, Larry Federman, Corey Finger, David Gibson, Elizabeth Grace, Jane Graves, Don Grescens, Bernie Grossman, Richard Guthrie, Ken Harper, David Harrison, Ron Harrower, John Hershey, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club's Birdline of Eastern New York, Hudson-Mohawk Yahoo group, John Kent, Nancy Kern, Eric Krantz, Bill Lee, Tristan Lowery, Alan


Mapes, Dave Martin, Andrew Mason, Kelly McKay, Matt Medler, Steve Mesick, Roger Miller, Frank Murphy, Jeff Nadler, Rich Nord, Ellen Pemrick, Barb Putnam, Will Raup, Larry Rowland, John Saville, Susan Scheck, Scott Stoner, Vin Sturn, Joan Suriano, Bill & Marion Ulmer, Alison Van Keuren, Brad Walker, Carol & Owen Whitby, Phil Whitney, T. Lloyd Williams, Allan & Phyllis Wirth, Chad Witko, Will Yandik, Robert Yunick.

ABBREVIATIONS FtE – T Fort Edwards, WASH; HR – Hudson River; VF – Vischer’s Ferry, SARA.

WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES Greater White-fronted Goose: FtE 21 Mar; Hudson COLU 25 Mar. Snow Goose: 300 Glen MONT 2 Apr, 6 blue morph present. Cackling Goose: Neiber Swamp Livingston COLU 30 Mar. Brant: max 70 New Baltimore GREE 29 May. Gadwall: Stony Creek Res SARA 30 Mar. N. Shoveler: Livingston COLU 6 Apr. N. Pintail: max 8 Fonda MONT 10 Mar. Canvasback: max 2 Cohoes ALBA 9 Mar. Redhead: max 6 Crescent ALBA 6 Mar. Greater Scaup: max 7 Stillwater SARA 1 Mar. Lesser Scaup: max 5 Stillwater SARA 1 Mar. White-winged Scoter: Copake COLU 12 Apr; 4 Alcove Res ALBA 16 May. Long-tailed Duck: max 3 Queensbury WASH 17 Apr. Barrow’s Goldeneye: Cohoes ALB 2 Mar; Green I SARA 3 Mar; Ft. Miller WASH 26 Mar. Red-breasted Merganser: Schuylerville 3 Mar; Green I SARA 3 Mar; Saratoga L SARA 24 Apr. Ring-necked Pheasant: Stuyvesant COLU 5 March; Hillsdale COLU 1 Apr; Ancram COLU 25 Apr. Red-throated Loon: max 7 Saratoga L SARA 17 Apr. Pied-billed Grebe: arr Germantown COLU 1 Apr. Red-necked Grebe: max 4 Saratoga L SARA 24 Apr. Am. Bittern: arr Black Creek Marsh SARA 16 Apr. Least Bittern: arr Black Creek Marsh SARA 16 Apr. Great Egret: Coxsackie Grasslands GREE 3 Apr; VF 16 Apr. Green Heron: arr Five Rivers ALBA 24 Apr.

Black-crowned Night-Heron: Coxsackie Grasslands GREE 25 May.

HAWKS – LARIDS Osprey: arr Germantown COLU 26 Apr. N. Goshawk: Wilton SARA 29 Mar; Chatham COLU 27 Apr; Berne ALBA 16 May. Red-shouldered Hawk: Clifton Pk SARA 23 Mar; Northumberland SARA 30 Apr. Broad-winged Hawk: arr Malta SARA 25 Apr. Golden Eagle: Fort Ann WASH 1 Mar. Virginia Rail: arr Black Creek Marsh SARA 15 Apr. Sora: arr Kingsbury WASH 18 Apr. Com. Gallinule: VF 30 Apr. Am. Coot: arr Chatham COLU 26 Apr. SANDHILL CRANE (R8): Colonie ALBA 17 Apr. Black-bellied Plover: Cohoes ALBA 4-7 May. Spotted Sandpiper: arr Collins L SCHE 22 Apr. Solitary Sandpiper: arr Neiber Swamp Livingston COLU 1 May. Greater Yellowlegs: arr Greenport COLU 14 Apr. Lesser Yellowlegs: Cohoes ALBA 24 May. Upland Sandpiper: W Ames MONT 17 Apr; 2 SCHE Co Airport SCHE 18 Apr. Least Sandpiper: arr Greenport COLU 9 May. White-rumped Sandpiper: Stillwater SARA 26 May. Short-billed Dowitcher: 60 Stanton Pd ALBA 19 May, likely a Region 8 max record Wilson’s Snipe: arr Papscanee I RENS 27 Mar. Iceland Gull: max 6 Crescent ALBA 5 Mar. Lesser Black-backed Gull: Crescent ALBA 11 Mar; Cohoes ALBA 25-7 May. Glaucous Gull: Colonie ALBA 5 Mar; Green I SARA 9 Mar Caspian Tern: arr Colonie ALBA 1 May; Cohoes ALBA 29 May.


Black Tern: Saratoga L SARA 17 May.

PIGEONS – PARROTS Yellow-billed Cuckoo: arr Five Rivers ALBA 9 May. N. Saw-whet Owl: Bolton SARA 7 May. Com. Nighthawk: arr Bog Meadow SARA 16 May. Whip-poor-will: arr Malta SARA 6 May; 2 Hillsdale COLU 6 May; Coeymans ALBA 7 May; Ghent COLU 15 May; max 7 Malta Tech Park SARA 16 May. Chimney Swift: arr Hudson COLU 30 Apr. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr Schodack RENS 2 May.

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS Olive-sided Flycatcher: Five Rivers ALBA 17 May; New Lebanon COLU 23 May. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Normanskill ALBA 17 May. Acadian Flycatcher: Middleburgh SCHO 30 May. Least Flycatcher: arr Hoosic Falls RENS 3 May. Great Crested Flycatcher: arr Livingston COLU 29 Apr. E. Kingbird: arr Ooms Pd COLU 19 Apr. Yellow-throated Vireo: arr Greenport COLU 4 May. Blue-headed Vireo: arr Bog Meadow SARA 18 Apr. Warbling Vireo: arr Charlston SF SCHO 26 Apr. Philadelphia Vireo: New Lebanon COLU 9 May. Red-eyed Vireo: arr Berlin RENS 30 Apr. Purple Martin: arr Saratoga SARA 19 Apr. N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr Bethlehem ALBA 6 Apr. Bank Swallow: arr Scotia SCHE 22 Apr. Cliff Swallow: arr Mechanicville SARA 24 Apr. Barn Swallow: arr Germantown COLU 19 Apr, late. House Wren: arr Five Rivers ALBA 16 Apr. Veery: arr Ancram COLU 2 May. Swainson’s Thrush: arr Albany 5 May. Wood Thrush: arr Sloansville SCHO 29 Apr. Gray Catbird: arr Mechanicville SARA 30 Apr. Brown Thrasher: arr VF 16 Apr. Am. Pipit: Livingston COLU 2 Apr; Cohoes 23 May.

BOHEMIAN WAXWING (R8): max 50 Queensbury WARR 11 Mar; Burnt Hills ALBA 21 Mar.

LONGSPURS - WARBLERS Lapland Longspur: Stuyvesant COLU 5 Mar. Ovenbird: arr Ballston SARA 26 Apr. Worm-eating Warbler: arr Germantown COLU 6 May. Louisiana Waterthrush: arr Five Rivers ALBA 16 Apr. N. Waterthrush: arr VF 25 Apr. Golden-winged Warbler: Putnam WASH 8 May; Five Rivers ALBA 12 May. Blue-winged Warbler: arr Cairo GREE 3 May. “Brewster’s” Warbler: Putnam WASH 8 May; FtE 8 May. “Lawrence’s” Warbler: Hannacroix ALBA 8 May. Black-and-white Warbler: arr Malta SARA 25 Apr. Tennessee Warbler: arr Livingston COLU 1 May. Nashville Warbler: arr Austerlitz COLU 3 May. Mourning Warbler: Pine Bush ALBA 20 May; Partridge Run ALBA 30 May. Com. Yellowthroat: arr Hudson COLU 29 Apr. Hooded Warbler: arr Copake COLU 9 May. Am. Redstart: arr Germantown COLU 30 Apr. Cape May Warbler: arr Albany 5 May. Cerulean Warbler: max 4 Schodack I RENS 11 May. N. Parula: arr Nassau RENS 4 May Magnolia Warbler: arr Greenville GREE 2 May. Bay-breasted Warbler: arr Putnam WASH 8 May. Yellow Warbler: arr Germantown COLU 25 Apr. Chestnut-sided Warbler: arr Amsterdam MONT 3 May. Blackpoll Warbler: arr Livingston COLU 1 May. Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr Troy RENS 1 May. Palm Warbler: arr Schodack RENS 13 Apr. Pine Warbler: arr Five Rivers ALBA 16 Apr. Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr Germantown COLU 13 Apr. Prairie Warbler: arr Livingston COLU 30 Apr. Black-throated Green Warbler: arr Saratoga SARA 1 May.


Canada Warbler: arr Bolton SARA 7 May. Wilson’s Warbler: arr VF 8 May.

TOWHEES - WEAVERS Scarlet Tanager: arr Catskill GREE 2 May. E. Towhee: arr Taghkanic COLU 12 Apr. Chipping Sparrow: arr Hudson COLU 6 Apr. Field Sparrow: arr Five Rivers ALBA 3 Apr. Vesper Sparrow: arr Saratoga Co Airport SARA 21 Apr. Savannah Sparrow: arr Livingston COLU 14 Mar.

Grasshopper Sparrow: arr Albany Airport ALBA 7 May. Rose-breasted Grosbeak: arr Albany 29 Apr. E. Meadowlark: arr Papscanee I RENS 26 Mar. Rusty Blackbird: max 20 VF 17 Apr. Orchard Oriole: arr Ancram COLU 25 Apr. Com. Redpoll: last E Charlton SARA 18 Apr, numerous; bird with conjunctivitis reported (fide BC), first for species in Reg, intro. Pine Siskin: max 23 E Greenbush RENS 22 Apr, numerous.

===

REGION 9—HUDSON-DELAWARE

Michael Bochnik

70 Hutchinson Boulevard, Mt Vernon, NY 10552 [email protected]

The spring season was very dry and seemed to be only one month long due to March acting like winter and May acting like summer. March started out very cold and stayed cold, prolonging the longer than normal winter season. The month averaged out to 4.3° F below normal. Poughkeepsie dipped to - 2° on 6 March. Even late March had lows in the upper teens. Most lakes and ponds stayed frozen through the month. Only 2.2" of precipitation fell, 1.4" less than normal. April was also dry with 2.2" of precipitation, 1.6" less than normal. Temperatures varied greatly with Poughkeepsie hitting a low of 24° the first two days of the month and soaring to a high of 81° on 18 April. Temperatures for the month averaged out to normal. Temperatures in the 30s and 40s on 22 and 23 April made it feel as if spring would never come. Leaf out started 30 April in southern Westchester and continued north, then into the higher elevations the first two weeks of May. This is slightly early historically, but late compared to the last twenty years. The heat was turned on in May. It was reported to be the second warmest on record at the average 6.6° above normal. Temperatures were above average for 23 days in the month, hitting highs of 89° on the 8th, 10th, 11th and 26th. Less than 2" of rain fell, where the average is 4.7". 6 March brought some interesting waterfowl to the Hudson River Valley. Julia Fuhr observed and photographed 11 Tundra Swans heading north over Verplank. Evan Edelbaum found a female Common Eider off Piermont Pier the same day. The eider was seen later by Carol Weiss to confirm the identification. A blue morph Ross’s Goose found by John Haas and a white morph found by Rob Stone were present together in New Hampton on 18 March. Mark DeDea found and gave a good description of a female Barrow’s Goldeneye seen on the Hudson River from George Freer Memorial Beach in Port Ewen on 4 April. It


was seen by a number of other birders. The only evening flight of scoters, mainly White-winged, occurred on 2 May, in Long Island Sound. There were two reports of fly-by Swallow-tailed Kites in mid-May. The first was seen by Andrew Block at Untermeyer Park in Yonkers on 11 May. John Askildsen watched a Swallow-tailed Kite fly over Route 44/Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, just above tree level, in a west/southwesterly direction two days later on 13 May. A Mississippi Kite was seen on Ironwood Road, Sterling Forest on 16 May by a number of observers. This is not too far away from where they tried to nest a few years back. Continuing the trend of increased sightings, Willets were found at Marshlands Conservancy on 18 and 27 May. A Sanderling, which is a very rare species in spring, appeared at Edith G Read Preserve in Rye on 3 and 15 March. Bruce Nott found a phalarope on Orange Lake on 22 May. The bird was relocated the following day and identified as a breeding-plumaged female Red-necked Phalarope. A few other birders arrived and were able to photograph the bird. Are Bonaparte’s Gulls making a comeback on the Hudson? They were once fairly common on the Hudson during the middle of the last century but became uncommon or rare inland. There were a number of scattered reports this spring from every county, with a flock of 38-40 off Stony Point on 29 April. Tom Burke found a Great Black-backed Gull holding the leg of a Redhead on an offshore rock off Edith G Read Preserve in Rye on 15 March. The gull held on for 15 minutes while the duck frantically flapped until exhausted. The gull then started taking it apart. Curt McDermott found a CRESTED CARACARA feeding on a carcass on River Road in Montgomery, Orange County on 10 April. The word was spread and may people got to see the bird over the weekend. It relocated to nearby Scott’s Corners Golf Course area and was seen each day until the 16th. The bird was not banded but was missing its left eye. It was possibly sighted in Bullville on 20 April. Moving along to the passerines, our five species of swallows all arrived a week or more earlier than their historical averages. Jeff Seneca photographed a male Black-throated Gray Warbler in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne on 23 April. The bird was identified from the photo the next day. Efforts to relocate the bird were unsuccessful. This is Westchester County’s second record. The first was near Cross River Reservoir 6 August 1962. Larry Trachtenburg found and photographed a female Boat-tailed Grackle at Croton Point Park on 5 April. Sightings in Westchester have increase in the last five years, usually along the shore of Long Island Sound. Other notable species include: Eurasian Wigeon, Red-necked Grebe, Sandhill Crane, Northern Shrike, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, and European Goldfinch.


CONTRIBUTORS Julie Aitchison, Kathleen Ashman, John Aslildsen, Sharon AvRutick, Scott Baldinger, Beth Barker, Steve Bauer, Andrew Block, Michael Bochnik, Arlene Borko, Paul Bourdin, Jodi Brodsky, Gene Brown, Jackie Bruskin, Tom Burke, Sean Camillieri, Martin Carney, Judith Cinquina, Teresa Clare, Jim Clinton, John Collins, Ron Conzo, Rebekah Creshkoff, John Curran, Bill Cutler, Jen Daley, Renee Davis, Mark DeDea, Dafne De Jesus, Joseph DiCostanzo, Tim Dunn, John & Abby Dux, Evan Edelbaum, Valerie Freer, Debra Ferguson, Bill Fiero, Dorothy Fleury, Elyse Fuller, Julia Fuhr, Mira Furgoch, Sarah Galbraith, Josh Garrison, Roger Garrison, John Gluth, Marge Gorton, Scott Graber, Tim Graves, Frances Greenberg, John Haas, John Hannan, Dawn Hannay, Kent Harris, Nick Hawvermale, David Hayes, Timothy Healy, Elizabeth Jamison, Tait Johansson, Peter Johnson, Susan Joseph, Deborah Kral, Veronika Krause, Mike Kravatz, John Kent, Aimee LaBarr, David La Magna, Sandra LaVigne, Paul Lewis, William Liljeroos, Patricia Lindsay, Tristan Lowery, Karen Maloy, Barbara Mansell, Liz Martens, Steve Martin, Gene McGarry, Kevin McGrath, Phil Meisner, Karen Miller, Peter Morris, Frank Murphy, Michael Newhouse, Bruce Nott, Emma Olsen, Suzanne O'Rourke, Beth Peterson, Linda Pistolesi, Carena Pooth, Adrienne Popko, Deborah Powell, Jessica Prockup, Mike Rath, Thomas Rhindress, Myles Robert, Charlie Roberto, Susan Rogers, Matthew Rymiewicz, Peter Schoenberger, Kathy Scullion, Jeff Seneca, Sean Sime, Eileen Stickle, Rob Stone, Matthew Strobino, Taylor Sturm, Anne Swaim, Herb Thompson, Wendy Tocci, Larry Trachtenberg, Benjamin Van Doren, Lance Verderame, Joe Wallace, Carol Weiss, Alan & Deberah Wells, Colleen Williams, Thomas Williams, Jim Yates, Matt Zeitler.

ABBREVIATIONS

CPP – Croton Point P; EGR – Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary; MC – Marshlands Conservancy; RNC – Rye Nature Center; SGNWR – Shawangunk Grasslands NWR.

WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES Greater White-fronted Goose: Pine Island 18, 22 Mar (RS, JHaa, MZ, SCa); Mashomack 21-24 Apr, 5 May (SJ, BM). Snow Goose: 27 Parksville 25 Mar; 8 Valhalla 30 Mar; 275 Forsyth Nature Center 2 Apr; 50 Ellenville 5 Apr. ROSS’S X SNOW GOOSE: white & blue morphs New Hampton 18, 19 Mar (RS, JHaa). Cackling Goose: Mashomack, Pine Plains 15 Apr (LM, BM, AP); 2 Mashomack 21 Apr (BM, AP, SJ). Tundra Swan: 11 Verplank 6 Mar (JF), ph; 8-12 Camel Farm 18, 19, 28, 29 Mar (RS, JHaa), Pine Plains 29 Mar (JCl, J&AD, DK, AL, BM, CP, AP, SR, HT); Buttercup West 1 Apr; 2 Hurley 3 Apr (WT, JP). Eurasian Wigeon: EGR 2, 3, 5, 16 Apr (SC, AS). N. Pintail: max 150 Wallkill River NWR 1 Apr.

Redhead: 2-4 Croton Bay 1-11 Mar; Rondout Res 7 Mar; 2 Rondout Res 20-22 Mar; one taken by a Black-backed Gull EGR 15 Mar, intro. Ring-necked Duck: 467 Bashakill 6 Apr. Surf Scoter: Kingston Pt 2 Apr (JCl); 2 EGR 3-7 Apr (AS); 2 EGR 2 May. White-winged Scoter: Piermont Pier 6, 7, 11, 13, 14 Mar (EE, CWe, JCi); Port Ewen 3-11 Apr; 40 EGR 13 Apr; 2 Black Creek Preserve 17 Apr; 89 EGR & 212 Kiamesha L 19 May (JHaa). Black Scoter: EGR 30 Mar (AS) Long-tailed Duck: 3 Piermont Pier 14 Mar; 32 EGR 3 Apr; 4 Bashakill 7 Apr; 9 Mongaup Falls Res 7 Apr; 2 Abel’s P, Vernbank 10-11 Apr; Red Wing 14 Apr. Barrow’s Goldeneye: George Freer Memorial Beach, Ulster 4, 5, 9 Apr (MD, FM, DFe, JCl, JP, DHay).


Red-breasted Merganser: 2 Yankee L 24 May. Horned Grebe: 16 EGR 25 Mar; 6 New Hamburg 4 Apr; 10 Bashakill 7 Apr; Piermont Pier 1 May; New Rochelle 2 May. Red-necked Grebe: Piermont Pier 9 Mar; North Salem 9,10 Mar; 3 Bashakill 7 Apr; Bashakill 9 Apr; Saugerties 11-12 Apr; EGR 21 Apr; 2 Glenmere L 23 Apr; 2 Kiamesha L 23 Apr. Am. Bittern: arr Tibbets Brook P, Yonkers 8, 17 Apr; Amenia 14, 19, 26 Apr; Bashakill 16 Apr; Angle Fly Preserve, Katonah 17 Apr; Cruger Island Road 30 Apr; Amenia 1-30 May; 2 Bashakill 5 May. Least Bittern: Amenia 5 May. Great Egret: arr Stony point 2 Apr. Snowy Egret: arr MC 5 Apr. Little Blue Heron: Hommocks Conservation Area. Larchmont 19 Apr (KMcG). Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: 2 Titus Millpond, New Rochelle 26 Apr. Glossy Ibis: Kakiat P 24 May (DHan).

HAWKS – LARIDS Osprey: arr Piermont Pier 7 Mar, early (VK); CPP 28 Mar. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE: Untermyer Park, Yonkers 11 May (ABl); Millbrook 13 May (JAs), intro. MISSISSIPPI KITE: Ironwood Rd, Sterling Forest 16 May (JGl, TS, PMo, TD, PA). N. Goshawk: Tivoli Bays 22 Mar; Parksville 24 Mar. Broad-winged Hawk: arr Carmel 25 Mar. Rough-legged Hawk: Liberty 29 Mar. Golden Eagle: Callicoon 2 Mar; Bashakill 13 Mar; Mongaup 22 Mar; Buttercup 11 Apr; Sterling Forest 3 May. Clapper Rail: The Great Vly, Saugerties 26-28 Apr (JP, PS, WT, MD); 2 MC 27, 29 May. Sora: arr Bashakill 6 May. Com. Gallinule: arr Bashakill 22 Apr; Amenia 1, 2, 7, 11, 17 May; 4 Bashakill 1 May. Sandhill Crane: Forsyth Nature Center 2 Apr (MD, JP); SGNWR 9 May (JP); Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge 10 May (DHay). Semipalmated Plover: 17 MC 5, 22 May. Am. Oystercatcher: arr EGR 30 Mar; 4 MC 29 May. Willet: MC 18, 27 May (TB). Upland Sandpiper: 2 SGNWR 25 Apr; 4 Blue Chip Farm 17, 24 May; CPP 3 May (CR). Ruddy Turnstone: 2 EGR 16 Apr. Sanderling: EGR 3, 15 Mar (TB, BF, JHaa, JoB).

Dunlin: 6-12 EGR 8 Mar. Purple Sandpiper: 6 Rye 25 Apr. White-rumped Sandpiper: Piermont Pier 22 May (CWe, GB). Pectoral Sandpiper: Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne 14 Apr (JS). Short-billed Dowitcher: Strever Farm 1 May. Am. Woodcock: arr late Ulster Park 14 Mar (MD); 12 CPP 26 Mar. Red-necked Phalarope: Orange L 22-24 May (BN, MZ, JHaa); Piermont Pier 23 May (LP). Bonaparte's Gull: reports from all counties in Apr; max 56 EGR 18 Apr; max inland 38 Stony Point 29 Apr. Iceland Gull: Fishkill 7 Mar (JCl). Lesser Black-backed Gull: Newburgh 10 Mar (MZ, BN); Kigston Pt 16 Mar (MD); Kingston Pt 2 Apr (JCl); 2 Kingston Pt 5 Apr (MD). Caspian Tern: Kingston Pt 7, 12 Apr (JCl, MD, JP, FM); Piermont Pier 21 Apr (EE). Forster’s Tern: arr MC 4 May; 6 MC 11 May.

PIGEONS - PARROTS Yellow-billed Cuckoo: max 5 Doodletown 30 May (TH). Short-eared Owl: SGNWR 18 Mar; 3 SGNWR 27. N. Saw-whet Owl: Millbrook School R 10 May (DD); Bashakill 16 May (JDi, SS). E. Whip-poor-will: arr Pine Kill R. Wurtsboro 25 Apr. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr early Rockland SP 16 Apr (AW). Red-headed Woodpecker: New Rochelle 7 Apr; 5 Weston Swamp 16, 30 Apr; Muscoot Farm 17, 22, 27 May. CRESTED CARACARA: Montgomery 10-16 Apr (CM, mob), intro. Monk Parakeet: 7 New Rochelle 26 Apr.

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS Olive-sided Flycatcher: Rye Nature Center 12 May; Wurtsboro 13 May; Buttercup East 14 May; Peach Hill 15 May; CPP 18 May. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: MC 17 May. Acadian Flycatcher: Rye Nature Center 18, 27 May. N. Shrike: SGNWR 29 Mar (JY). Yellow-throated Vireo: 8 Bashakill 1 May. Philadelphia Vireo: arr Twin Lake P 27 Apr, photo, early (SO); Doodletown 7 May; Kakiat P 7 May; StonyKill 8 May. Purple Martin: arr early Kingston Pt 8 Apr (MD, WT); 40 New Paltz 7 May. N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr early White Plains 3 Apr.


Bank Swallow: arr early Montgomery 10 Apr. Cliff Swallow: arr MC 15 Apr; 40 Cross River Res 9 May. Barn Swallow: arr Rosendale 4 Apr. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: 22 Doodletown 29 Apr. Gray-cheeked Thrush: Bashakill 9 May; 2 Reese Sanc 10 May; MC 18 May; 3 together MC 19 May (TB). Bicknell’s Thrush: singing and calling Rye Nature Center 19 May (TB). Am. Pipit: 6-12 Liberty Marsh 29 Mar; 2 EGR 3 Apr; Apollo Plaza 9 May.

LONGSPURS – WARBLERS Worm-eating Warbler: arr 8 May. Louisiana Waterthrush: arr Buttercup Farm Audubon Sanctuary East 1 Apr. Golden-winged Warbler: Bashakill 9 May; Linear P 13 May. Blue-winged Warbler: arr 30 Apr. “Lawrence’s” Warbler: Kakiat P 17, 24 May (MC, MK); Buttercup 17-30 May. Prothonotary Warbler: Glen Woods, Pelham 26 Apr (MRo). Orange-crowned Warbler: Rockefeller SP Preserve 30 Apr (EE); Buttercup Sanctuary,East 2, 3, 4 May (CP, MRy, AP, BM, HT); Doodletown 3 May (LT); Sterling Forest 15 May (MRa, DL). Mourning Warbler: Bashakill 12-14 May; Buttercup 15 May; Peach Hill 21, 23 May; Kakiat P 24 May. Kentucky Warbler: Doodletown 10, 24, 25, 30 May (DHay). Com. Yellowthroat: arr early SGNWR 2 Apr. Hooded Warbler: arr Doodletown 29 Apr. Cape May Warbler: 4 Ferncliff 6 May; 4 Peach Hill 4-13 May; 2 Bashakill 7 May. Cerulean Warbler: arr Muscoot Farm 22 Apr; arr Doodletown 29 Apr.

Yellow-rumped Warbler: arr Kingston Pt 29 Mar. Yellow-throated Warbler: River Road, Callicoon 23-27 Apr (RCr). Prairie Warbler: arr 6 ½ Station Marsh 13 Apr. BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER: photographed Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne 23 Apr, 2nd WEST record (JS). Yellow-breasted Chat: Bashakill 7 May (JHaa, ScB).

TOWHEES - WEAVERS E. Towhee: arr Ward Pound Ridge 16 Mar. Grasshopper Sparrow: arr Benedict Park 18 Apr; Wappinger Falls 25 Apr; Millbrook 15 May; 2 CPP 25 May. Seaside Sparrow: CPP 10 May (CR), photo. Fox Sparrow: Hillside 3 May (WT), late. Blue Grosbeak: Muscoot Farm 20-23 Apr (RG, AS); 2 Berkshire R, Dover Plains 27 May (AP, SJ, BM). Boat-tailed Grackle: MC 2, 15,16 Apr (TB); f CPP 5 Apr (LT), ph. Orchard Oriole: arr Irvington 29 Apr Red Crossbill: 4 Liberty 24 Mar (JHaa, ScB, BF). Com. Redpoll: 10 Tivoli Bays 1 Mar; 5 Katonah 2 Mar; 1-4 Bashakill 5-27 Mar; 2 Neversink 5 Mar; Rock Hill 5 Mar; Monticello 5 Mar; 3 Parksville 5 Mar; 6 Livingston Manor 5 Mar; CPP 7 Mar; 2 Saugerties 7 Mar; Pruyn Sanctuary 8 Mar; Scott’s Corner 13 Mar; 4 Livingston manor 24 Mar; 2 Monticello 5 Apr; Walden 11 Apr; Milan 29, 30 Apr. Pine Siskin: lingered into May; Katonah 4 May; Rhinebeck 5 May; 2 Salt Point 6 May; Croton 9 May; 2 Ossining 15 May (MN).

EXOTICS European Goldfinch: Beekman 27 Apr.

===

REGION 10—MARINE

Seth Ausubel

118-17 Union Turnpike, Forest Hills, NY 11375 [email protected]

Though birding is always a pleasure, one might wish for more excitement than occurred this season. There were but a few rarities and most of those were not very cooperative. Overall bird numbers were low, and diversity was lower than


might be expected given the great increase in birder effort in recent years. A modest 285 species were recorded. March continued a very cold winter. Average temperatures across the Region were about 4° F below normal, for example, 35.2° at Islip, 4.1° below normal. March precipitation was slightly above normal (5.07" at Islip, 0.63" above normal). The seasonal contrast was extreme, with May temperatures much warmer than normal and precipitation well below normal in both April and May. Average temperatures in April were about 1° above normal in western portions of the Region (54.2° at Central Park, 1.2° above normal), and close to normal further east (49.3° at Islip, 0.2° above normal). Rainfall was 2.08" at Central Park, 2.42" below normal, indicative of conditions across the Region. Temperatures in May ranged from about 4° above normal on Long Island to a whopping 6.1° above normal at Central Park, where the average temperature was 68.5°. Rainfall totals at stations across most of the Region were the lowest ever recorded for the month of May. For example only 0.42" of rain fell at Islip, 3.36" below normal. While 1.86" of rain fell at Central Park, 1.46" of this amount was on 31 May. Among the few winter rarities early in the season were a Pink-footed Goose and a couple of Barnacle Geese. A “Eurasian” Green-winged Teal lingered at Brookville Park, Queens County through 2 April. Undoubtedly the star of the lingering winter rarities was an immature Mew Gull of the western race brachyrhynchus the first known from coastal New York. This bird wintered around Gravesend Bay, Brooklyn and was last reported 22 March. A major incursion of Red-necked Grebes included a maximum of 16 on 1 March at Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk County, and was consistent with widespread freezing of the Great Lakes in this harsh winter. The last report was on the late date of 9 May. Good numbers of Rough-legged Hawks remained well into March, with a maximum of five at the EPCAL grasslands, Calverton, Suffolk County, and the last report 20 April. Despite the harsh weather, several half-hardies successfully overwintered. These included an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Nashville Warbler at Massapequa Preserve, Nassau County, a Chipping Sparrow in Central Park, a Lincoln’s Sparrow at Ft. Wadsworth, Staten Island, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, and two Baltimore Orioles in South Ozone Park, Queens. Small numbers of Common Redpolls were present into early April. Pine Siskins were reported as late as 17 May. A good flight of Purple Finches occurred from mid-March to early May. This season’s land bird migration was noteworthy mainly for low numbers of birds. The clear and warm weather probably contributed to this, as many birds may have moved quickly to breeding grounds. An early-season flight was noted 27-28 March. For example on 27 March at Robert Moses State Park the flight included at least 284 Song Sparrows, 82 Dark-eyed Juncos, and 23 Eastern Phoebes. A widespread flight including large numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets occurred 3 April. Peak arrivals for neotropical migrants occurred around 21 April, 28 April, and 5 May. Land bird diversity peaked right around


mid-May, consistent with historical norms. 19-22 species of warblers were routinely being reported at city parks from 12-17 May. However, as many observers discussed, bird numbers were mostly quite low. Several additional rarities are worthy of mention. A Little Egret in breeding plumage was found at Gardiner County Park, Suffolk County on 20 May. It was seen in the marsh and along the shore there and at an adjacent private property that day and the next. It ranged widely during the two days, several times flying away across the Great South Bay. This is New York’s first record, pending NYSARC approval of documentation. On 16 May, a Bar-tailed Godwit spent a few hours resting on a mud flat near what was, and hopefully one day will again be, the West Pond of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. It flew off before many birders could arrive and was not seen again. A Ruff was at River Road, Staten Island on May 16-17. A Franklin’s Gull was found at Plum Beach, Brooklyn on 24 May and was seen there to 31 May. It was identified when the finder noticed it in a photograph she had taken earlier in the day, another example of the profound value of digital photography to our pastime. The bird, apparently a male, was later videotaped copulating with a Laughing Gull. Two Western Tanagers were seen in the Region: an adult male at the West End of Jones Beach State Park on 19 April and a female at Prospect Park on 12 May. A male Painted Bunting was photographed on Fire Island at a location inaccessible to the public on 8 May. Common Ravens are well established in Region 10. Breeding pairs were noted in at least three locations this season, and reports were widespread in every county except Queens. There were six reports of Pileated Woodpecker in the Region this season, five from Staten Island and one from Bethpage, Nassau County. The Staten Island reports probably involve at least two birds. This continues a pattern of more frequent sightings in the past few years. Several notable species of southern affinity continued to make strong showings in our Region this season. These include Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Summer Tanager, and Blue Grosbeak.

CONTRIBUTORS Italics: Sent end-of-season report. Robert Adamo, Deborah Allen, Michael Andersen, Bob Anderson, Richard Aracil (RAr), Jim Ash, Anya Auerbach, Seth Ausubel, Andrew Baksh, David Barrett (DBa), Catherine Barron, Rob Bate, Ed Becher, Debbie Becker, Dick Belanger (DBl), Gail Benson, Bobby Berlingeri, Shane Blodgett, Brent Bomkamp (BBo), Nick Bonomo, John Brush, Jr., Thomas W. Burke, Ben Cacace, Rafael Campos-Ramirez, Keith Cashman, Mathews Cashman (MsC), Cesar Castillo (CCo), Steve Chang, Anthony Ciancimino (ACi), Ralph Cioffi, Anthony Collerton, Chris Cooper, Mike Cooper, Joseph DiCostanzo (JDi), Adam D’Onofrio (ADo), Peter Dorosh, Alan Drogin, Tim Dunn, Dave Eib, Mary Eyster, Andrew Farnsworth, Ken Feustel, Suzy Feustel, Corey Finger, Tom Fiore, Howie Fischer, Brendan Fogarty, Daniel Frazer (DFr), Mira Furgoch, Doug Futuyma, John Gaglione (JGa), Arie Gilbert, Paul Gildersleeve, Joe Giunta (JGi), John Gluth (JGl), Doug Gochfeld, Gina Goldstein, Rich Gostic, Isaac Grant, Tim Healy, John Heidecker (JHr), Dennis Hrehowsik (DHr), Bruce Horwith, Sam


Jannazzo, Phil Jeffrey, Rob Jett, Richard Kaskan (RKa), Rich Kelly, Marie King, Dave Klauber, Robert J. Kurtz, David LaMagna, Mary Laura Lamont, Anthony J. Lauro, Anne Lazarus, Justin LeClaire (JLe), Jody Levin, Al Lindberg, Lois Lindberg, Paige Linden, Patricia J. Lindsay, Heydi Lopes, Joshua Malbin, Roberta Manion, Peter Martin, Jay McGowan (JMc), Kevin McGowan (KMc), Robert McGrath (RMc), Eric Miller, Karlo Mirth, Shaibal S. Mitra, Pete Morris (PMo), Michael Mulqueen, Jack Noordhuizen, Mary Normandia, Todd Olson, Luke Ormand, Patrick Palladino, Vinnie Pellegrino, Anders Peltomaa (AnP), Aidan Perkins, Stephane Perrault, Peter Max Polshek, Tom Preston, Robert Proniewych, Frank Quevedo, Glen Quinn, Kier Randall, Peter Reisfeld, Jeff Ritter, Derek Rogers, Jane Ross (JRo), Bobby Rossetti, Jack Rothman (JRn), Karen Rubenstein (KRu), Matthew Rymkiewicz, Mike Scheibel (MSch), Sy Schiff (SyS), Donna Schulman (DSch), Eileen Schwinn, John Sepenoski (JSe), Mike Shanley (MSh), Kai Sheffield, John Shemilt (JSh), Sean Sime, Nadir Souirgi, David Speiser, Lee Stocker, Sam Stuart (SSt), Taylor Sturm, Junko Suzuki (JSu), Robert Taylor, Phil Uruburu, Richard Veit, Joe Viglietta, Steve Walter, Alan Wells, David Wheeler, Christina Wilkinson, Gabriel Willow, Alex Wilson (AxW), Angus Wilson (AnW), Seth Ian Wollney, Byron Young, Michael Yuan; Michael Zito.

ABBREVIATIONS APP – Alley Pd P, QUEE; BPP – Baisley Pd P, QUEE; BPT – Breezy Pt, QUEE; BRY – Bryant P, NEWY; CB – Cedar B, Babylon, SUFF; CCP – Cupsogue CP, SUFF; CHP – Conference House P, RICH; CIC – Coney I Cr/P, KING; CP – Central Park, NEWY; CR – Cemetery of the Resurrection, RICH; CRSP – Connetquot R SP, SUFF; DOP – Drier-Offerman P, a.k.a. Calvert-Vaux P, KING; Ed – Sod fields on Edwards Av north of Route 25, Riverhead, SUFF; EPCAL – Calverton Grasslands (former Grumman Property), Calverton, SUFF; FBF – Floyd Bennett Field, KING; FIHW – Fire Island Hawk Watch, Robert Moses SP, SUFF; FKP – Fresh Kills P, RICH; FMCP – Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, QUEE; FP – Forest Park, QUEE; FT – Fort Tilden, QUEE; FWP – Ft. Washington P, NEWY; GBP – Goethal’s Bridge Pd, RICH; GBy – Gravesend Bay, KING; GKP – Great Kills P, RICH; GwC – Green-wood Cemetery, KING; HLSP – Hempstead L SP, NASS; HP – Hook Pd, East Hampton, SUFF; HSP – Heckscher SP, SUFF; JBSP – Jones Beach SP, NASS; JBWE – West End, Jones Beach SP, NASS; JBWR – Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, QUEE; KP – Kissena Park, QUEE; Mass – Massapequa Preserve, NASS; MB – Mecox Bay/Mecox Inlet, SUFF; MLUA – Mt. Loretto Unique Area, RICH; MNSA – Marine Nature Study Area, Oceanside, NASS; MP – Montauk Pt SP, SUFF; NYBG – New York Botanical Garden, BRON; PBP – Pelham Bay P, BRON; PL – Patchogue L, Patchogue, SUFF; PP – Prospect P, KING; RI – Randall’s I, NEWY; RMSP – Robert Moses SP, SUFF; RP – Jacob Riis P, QUEE; Rt 105 – Sod fields south of Sound Av between Route 105 and Doctor’s Path, Riverhead, SUFF; Sag – Sagaponack Pd/Inlet, SUFF; Shinn – Shinnecock Inlet, SUFF; SPCP – Smith Pt CP, SUFF; SMSP – Sunken Meadow SP, SUFF; VCP – Van Cortlandt P, BRON; VSSP – Valley Stream SP, NASS; WPP – Wolfe’s Pd P, RICH.

WHISTLING-DUCKS - VULTURES PINK-FOOTED GOOSE: Rt 105 thru 1 Mar. Greater White-fronted Goose: 5 Easthampton thru 5 Mar; 4 Georgica, SUFF 15 Mar (AnW); 4 Quail Hill Pres, Amagansett, SUFF 26 Mar (FQ).

Snow Goose: max 1000 Big Egg Marsh, Broad Channel, QUEE 11 & 13 Mar (AB). BARNACLE GOOSE: Manor Rd, Calverton 1 Mar (KC); 2 Ed, Riverhead, SUFF 7-13 Mar (fide DR, BH).


Cackling Goose: Ed 8 Mar (PU); Riley Av, Riverhead, SUFF 8 Mar (JSe); Miller Place, SUFF 15 Mar (A. Perleins); Riverhead 15 Mar V. Cagno); Mill R, Rockville Centre, NASS 21-24 Mar (SSch, mob). Tundra Swan: GKP 7 Mar (mob). Wood Duck: max 63 Bronx Zoo, BRON 18 Mar (TO), large number. Eurasian Wigeon: Orient Pt, SUFF thru 24 Mar (JSe, mob); drake Shirley Marina CP, SUFF 7 Mar (DR); 2 W Sayville Golf Club, SUFF 11-22 Mar (DR, mob), 1 continuing to 31 Mar (PJL); Drake Tottenville, RICH thru 15 Mar (SIW); Chandler Estate, SUFF 21 Mar (AP), PBP 24 Mar (DA), Mt Sinai Harbor, SUFF 24-25 Mar (M. Schrimpf, AP); Grant Park, Hewlett, NASS thru 29 Mar (RBA). “EURASIAN” GREEN-WINGED TEAL (R10): Wading River, SUFF 7 Mar (RG); Brookville P, QUEE thru 2 Apr (AB). Eurasian x American Green-winged Teal: Wading River 8 Mar (AnW). Canvasback: max 154 Bay Av, Watermill, SUFF 10 Mar (eBird record) Redhead: max 78 West Islip, SUFF 15 Mar (SSM, PJL). King Eider: 2 fem Orient Pt 1 Mar (RBA); imm Orient Pt thru 15 Mar (JSe). Harlequin Duck: 5 Orient Pt., SUFF 8 Mar (JSe); 4 Orient Pt thru 16 Apr (JSe); 4 m Pt Lookout, NASS 15 Mar (RBA); 2 Pt Lookout thru 19 Apr (RBA). Barrow's Goldeneye: fem Moravian Cem., RICH thru 8 Mar (ACi, mob); m Manhattan Bridge P, KING 3-7 Mar (SB); fem JBWR 11 Mar (AB); Com. Merganser: max 41 Idlewild P, QUEE 10 Mar (AB), large number; 3-5 PP thru 1 Apr, 1 remaining thru 23 Apr (mob); max 15 PP 27 Mar (PD); unusual loc. Red-necked Grebe: major incursion; at least 75 reps incl: max 16 RMSP 1 Mar (PMo, TD); BPP 1-22 Mar (DF, CF), unusal loc; 12 Dead Horse Bay, KING 10 Mar (RJ, HL); 8 pelagic trip from Sheepshead Bay, KING 11 Apr (SS, et al); last 9 May, late. Sooty Shearwater: Pelagic trip from Sheepshead Bay 11 Apr (SS, et al.); RMSP 23 May (JMc). Am. Bittern: APP 11-13 Apr (SP, CF), unusual loc. Least Bittern: River Rd., RICH 23 May (ACi, MK). LITTLE EGRET: Gardiner CP/Thorne Pres, SUFF 20-21 May (PM, DR, mob), first State record if accepted.

Little Blue Heron: arr 31 Mar. Cattle Egret: Water Mill, SUFF 8-11 May (TS, mob). Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: arr 6 Apr. Black Vulture: NYBG 7 Mar (DB); Greenport, SUFF 7 Mar (OB); 2 Theodore Roosevelt P, NEWY 11 Mar (MA); EPCAL 18 Mar M. Schrimpf, et al.); 2 Tottenville, RICK 22 Mar (RV); max 11 VCP 22 Mar (N. O’Reilly); PP 30 Mar (PD); Park Slope, KING 4 Apr (RJ); 2 PP 4 Apr (KR); 2 College of Staten I 5 Apr (RV); 2 CP 6 Apr (GG); same 2 birds IHP 6 Apr (NS); Head of the Harbor, SUFF 6 Apr (KC); 2 E 52 St, NEWY 11 Apr (AF); 6 Hubbard Av, Riverhead, SUFF 21 Apr (JBJr); 4 Green-wood Cem, KING 22 Apr (SS, RJ, SB); 4 Ft. Wadsworth, RICH 26 Apr (HF); 3 CP 14 May (CC). Turkey Vulture: about 20 L.I. reps, probably under-reported; L.I. maxima 27 DOP 18 Apr (P. Bourdain); 11 North Fork Pres, Jamesport, SUFF 19 May (RA).

HAWKS - LARIDS Osprey: arr 8 Mar. Bald Eagle: About 40 reps; pr nested William Floyd Estate (MLL); pr nested south shore, RICH (fide SIW), first nest in NYC in appx. 100 years. N. Goshawk: imm JBWE thru 12 Apr. Red-shouldered Hawk: appx. 35 reps; max 3 on 2 occasions (eBird reports). Broad-winged Hawk: 3 Green-wood Cem 22 Apr (SS, RJ, HL); three other L.I. reps (eBird). Rough-legged Hawk: appx 30 reps incl: max 5 EPCAL 8 Mar (JSe); 2 JBSP thru 9 Mar (eBird); Cedar B, Babylon, SUFF 2 Mar (MN); Norman Levy Pres, Merrick, NASS 2 Mar (MN); Dune Rd, E. Quogue, SUFF 3 Mar (DF); Ed 3 Mar (RBA); Napeague, SUFF thru 7 Mar; dark morph PP 7 Mar (AC); GKP 8 Mar (AB, PP); 3 FBF thru 8 Mar (HL, mob), 1 remaining thru 22 Mar; GKP thru 9 Mar (MSh); FKP 11 Mar (MSh); 2 Loop Pkwy, NASS 11 Mar SyS, JGi); Spring Creek P, KING thru 28 Mar (SS, RBA); EPCAL thru 9 Apr (eBird), late; JBSP 10 Apr (RP); Jones Inlet, NASS 20 Apr (AG). Am. Kestrel: max 17 EPCAL 5 Apr (JN). Virginia Rail: appx 20 reps incl: Arshamomaque Pres, Greenport, SUFF 16 Apr (JSe); CP 23 Apr (fide D. Barrett); Green-wood Cem 27 Apr (SS), injured; 2 Gardiner CP 1 May (JGl); max 5 Wertheim NWR, SUFF 5 May (eBird).


Com. Gallinule: Private property near River Rd, 15 Apr – 14 May (M. Rehman). Piping Plover: arr 13 Mar; 23 JBWE 29 Mar (RBA), large number. Spotted Sandpiper: arr 21 Apr. Solitary Sandpiper: arr 5 May. Whimbrel: 3 JBWE 22 Apr (KF, SF); Rockaway, QUEE 14 May (CF). BAR-TAILED GODWIT: JBWR 16 May (SSM, PJL, et al.). Least Sandpiper: 3 MNSA 17 Apr (BB), early. White-rumped Sandpiper: Plum B, KING 21 May (DG). RUFF: River Rd, RICH 16-17 May (SIW, mob). Short-billed Dowitcher: Cedar B, Southold, SUFF 10 Apr (JSe); Sagg Mains, Easthampton, SUFF 19 Apr (AnW); early. Wilson’s Snipe: Marine P, KING thru 6 Mar (RBA). Black-headed Gull: ad FT 1 Mar (AB); imm Plum B 19 May (DG). COM. MURRE: 2 Pelagic trip from Sheepshead Bay 11 Apr (SS, et al.). Razorbill: 2 Pelagic trip from Sheepshead Bay 11 Apr (SS, et al.). Laughing Gull: Coney I Cr, KING 10 Mar (SB), early. FRANKLIN'S GULL (R10): Plum B 24-31 May (DA, mob), ph DA, video IG, intro. MEW GULL: imm Gravesend Bay, KING thru 22 Mar (DFr, AB, AnW, mob); western race, brachyrhyncus. Iceland Gull: Gravesend Bay thru 3 Mar (RBA); Gravesend Bay 6 Mar – 9 Apr (DFR, mob); 2 Gravesend Bay 9 Mar (DFr); 2 Gravesend Bay 8-9 Apr (DFr); 3 Arden Av, RICH/WPP thru 9 Mar (MSh); 2 pelagic trip from Sheepshead Bay 11 Apr (SS, et al.); 2 cy Hudson R, NEWY 13 May (Dom Hall), ph. Lesser Black-backed Gull: ad Arden Av thru 9 Mar; Coney I Cr 21 Mar (RM), et al.); Gilgo B, SUFF 23 Mar (RBA); Gravesend bay 4 Apr (DFr); 2 win IHP 8 Apr (JDi); ad JBSP 9 Apr (RP); pelagic trip from Sheepshead Bay 11 Apr (SS, et al.); 6 FBF 20 Apr (SB), incl 3 ad; 2 ad CSP 20 Apr (SSM); 4 RMSP 20 Apr, incl 2 ad; 12 HSP 20 Apr DR, incl 9 ad; 5 ad Plum B 20 Apr (SB). Glaucous Gull: Gravesend Bay 4 Mar – 20 Apr (DFr, SB, mob); Napeague Harbor 4 Mar (JGi); Bush Terminal Pier P, KING 8-19 Mar (mob); Artist’s L, Middle Island, SUFF 11 Mar (JH); MB 13 Mar (JSh); BPT 15 Mar (AB); Camp Hero, Montauk, SUFF 28 Mar (BH); Shin 6 Apr; Orient Pt 9 Apr (JSe); pelagic trip from

Sheepshead Bay 11 Apr (SS, et al.); DOP 14-22 Apr (KR, AxW); JBSP 15 Apr RP; IHP 27 Apr (JDi). Gull-billed Tern: JBWE 1 May (BA, mob); HLSP 11 May (TH), unusual loc; Caspian Tern: 4 MB 22 Apr (JSh); 2 MB 27 Apr (JRo); 7 MB 28 Apr (JGi); 4 MB 2 May (RBA). ARCTIC TERN: ad CCP 30 May (DR, photo).

PIGEONS - PARROTS Yellow-billed Cuckoo: arr 5 May. Black-billed Cuckoo: arr 7 May. Snowy Owl: FBF thru 11 Mar; JBWE 15 Mar (RBA); Hicks I, Napeague thru 19 Apr (AnW); Tiana B, Hampton Bays, SUFF 6-13 Apr (RA, KC, mob). Barred Owl: PBP thru 21 Mar. Long-eared Owl: FBF thru 1 Mar; CP thru 9 Mar. Short-eared Owl: 2 FBF thru 3 Mar; Marine P thru 8 Mar; JBWE 8-10 Mar (RBA); CCP 6 Apr (BY). N. Saw-whet Owl: JBWE 1 Mar (mob); FBF 1 Mar. Chuck-will's-widow: BRY 13-19 Apr (GW, mob). E. Whip-poor-will: arr 14 Apr. Chimney Swift: arr 3 Apr. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: arr 15 Apr. Red-headed Woodpecker: JBWE 5 May (DK); CHP 11 May (HF, et al). PILEATED WOODPECKER (R10): Corson Brook Woods, RICH 31 Mar (SIW); Willowbrook P, RICH 1 Apr (K. Coyle); Bethpage, NASS 5 Apr (MZ); CR 5 Apr (ACi); CR 9 Apr (ACi); Willowbrook P 7 Apr (RV).

FLYCATCHERS - WAXWINGS Olive-sided Flycatcher: arr 12 May; appx 30 reps. E. Wood-Pewee: arr 21 Apr, early. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: arr 13 May. Acadian Flycatcher: 6 reps incl arr Sutton Pl, NEWY 5 May (AF); 2 Lido Passive Nature Area, NASS 31 May (eBird). Alder Flycatcher: arr 14 May; appx 12 reps. Willow Flycatcher: arr 3 May. Least Flycatcher: arr CLP 22 Apr (EJ), early. E. Phoebe: arr 16 Mar; 23 RMSP 27 Mar (KF); 55 BPT 28 Mar (AB); 70 William Floyd Estate, SUFF 27-28 Mar (MLL); large numbers; Coney I Cr P 20 May (DG), late. Great Crested Flycatcher: arr 27 Apr.


E. Kingbird: arr Mass 19 Apr (SA, MN, et al.), early. White-eyed Vireo: arr 11 Apr. Yellow-throated Vireo: arr 28 Apr. Blue-headed Vireo: arr 13 Apr. Warbling Vireo: arr 22 Apr. Philadelphia Vireo: CP 12-13 May (fide TF, mob); PP 17 May (fide PD, mob). Red-eyed Vireo: arr JBWE 21 Apr (PPa), early. Com. Raven: pr present vic. Owl’s Head P & Bush Terminal Pier P, KING, thru; 2 pair bonding Hudson R, NEWY 9 Apr (D. Garcia-Hall), often seen Chelsea area, NEWY; pr nesting Brookhaven National Lab, SUFF 12-30 Apr (fide PJL); at least 2 present RICH thru; addtl reps incl: NYBG 7 Mar (MF); Baiting Hollow, SUFF 17 Mar (MLL); Westbury, NASS 18 Mar (JGa); North Woodmere P, NASS 25 Mar (EB); PP 1 Apr (RCR); PBP 2 Apr (MF); MLUA 4 Apr (DE); Coffin Woods Pres., NASS 8 Apr (LL); Wave Hill, BRON 11 Apr; Nissequogue R SP, SUFF 12 Apr (P. Domeischel); MNSA 11-16 Apr (SSch, JGs); 2 Caumsett SP, SUFF 12 Apr (R. Bass); Fuch Pd, Northport, NASS 14 Apr (DLa); Lynbrook, NASS 15 Apr (TH); Meadowcroft Estate, SUFF 17-22 Apr (DR); Riverhead 18 Apr (JBJ); NYBG 19 Apr; 2 W 88 St, Bay Ridge, KING 21 Apr (SB); 2 Shore Rd, Bay Ridge, KING 21 Apr (SB); PBP 18 Apr (RAr); 2 JBSP 28 Apr (KT); East Patchogue, SUFF 27 May (LO); max 4 General Theological Seminary, W 21 St, NEWY 31 May, (DBa). Purple Martin: arr Coney I Pier, KING 22 Mar (RJ, HL), early; max 25 Lemon Cr P, RICH 14 May (ACi). Tree Swallow: arr 10 Mar. N. Rough-winged Swallow: arr 31 Mar. Bank Swallow: arr 4 Apr. Cliff Swallow: arr 4 Apr. Barn Swallow: arr Ama 29 Mar (AnW), early. House Wren: arr 6 Apr. Marsh Wren: arr 5 Apr. Golden-crowned Kinglet: max 145 PP 3 Apr (SS), large number. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: arr 3 Apr; max 26 HLSP 22 Apr (TH), large number. Veery: arr 27 Apr. Gray-cheeked Thrush: arr 8 May; max 5 PP 24 May (AB). BICKNELL’S THRUSH: FP 20 May (CF), singing; PP 22-25 May (DHr, mob). Swainson's Thrush: arr 5 May. Wood Thrush: arr 21 Apr.

LONGSPURS - WARBLERS Lapland Longspur: RP 1 Mar (AB); 2 JBWE 2 Mar (SA, MN); 2 FBF thru 3 Mar (SB); FBF 15-16 Mar (mob). Ovenbird: arr 18 Apr. Worm-eating Warbler: arr 18 Apr. Louisiana Waterthrush: arr 31 Mar Fuchs Pd, Northport, SUFF (SF, et al); Southards Pd, Babylon, SUFF 21 Apr; uncommon in SUFF. N. Waterthrush: arr 15 Apr Blue-winged Warbler: arr Ridge, SUFF 3 Apr (JH), early. “Lawrence’s” Warbler: Montauk 17 May (fide KRu). Black-and-white Warbler: arr 5 Apr. Prothonotary Warbler: PP 18-21 Apr (DHr, et al.); PP 19 Apr (mob); Green-wood Cem, KING 19-27 Apr (W. Pollard); Eastport, SUFF 24-25 Apr (fide TS); CP 27-28 Apr (APe, mob), released by rehabber; CLP 4-5 May (SIW, SSM); PP 6 May (fide PD); VCP 23 May (MF), late; CRSP 31 May thru (RBA), singing m. Tennessee Warbler: arr 6 May. Orange-crowned Warbler: Mass thru 19 Mar (mob); VSSP 18 Apr (BB); CP 29 Apr (SC); PP 2 May (RJ, HL); PP 8 May (fide PD). Nashville Warbler: Mass thru 23 Mar (MZ); arr 26 Apr. Mourning Warbler: appx 30 reps incl: arr CP 8 May (APe, mob); 2 CP 9 May (fide JSu); 4 FP 20 May (CF); 4 CP 24 May (fide TF); large numbers; Peter Cooper Village, NEWY 25 May, M. Kravatz, unusual loc. Kentucky Warbler: CLP 3 May (MSh); Riverside P, NEWY 4 May (KFu); PP 5-6 May (SS, RJ); HLSP 6 May (RP); PP 6 May (fide PD); SMSP 19 May (VP); Head of Harbor, SUFF 24-26 May (KC, mob). Com. Yellowthroat: arr 14 Apr. Hooded Warbler: arr 19 Apr; appx 40 reps. Am. Redstart: arr 21 Apr. Cape May Warbler: arr JBWE 22 Apr (SJ, fide KF), early. Cerulean Warbler: CP 4 May (NS); PP 29 Apr (fide PD); IHP 9 May (AF); FP 14 May (PR); PP 17 May (HL, et al.); CP 16 May (KFu); CP 17 May (KFu). N. Parula: arr 16 Apr. Magnolia Warbler: arr 28 Apr. Bay-breasted Warbler: arr 4 May. Blackburnian Warbler: arr 3 May. Yellow Warbler: arr 13 Apr. Chestnut-sided Warbler: arr 29 Apr. Blackpoll Warbler: arr 2 May. Black-throated Blue Warbler: arr 23 Apr.


Palm Warbler: arr 22 Mar. Pine Warbler: arr 15 Mar. Yellow-throated Warbler: VSSP 30 Mar-11 Apr (fide AC, RP, BB, mob), early; 1-3 CRSP 7 Apr thru (A. McIntyre, mob), where nested past two years; CLP 12-13 Apr (MSh, IG, mob); 2 PP 19 Apr, dominica race (PL, mob), ph K. O’Hearn, albilora race (fide PD), ph P. Chung; HLSP 23-25 Apr (SyS, DK); CP 5 May (fide TF). Prairie Warbler: arr 17 Apr. Black-throated Green Warbler: arr 21 Apr. Canada Warbler: arr 3 May. Wilson’s Warbler: arr 5 May. Yellow-breasted Chat: JBWE 5 May (DK); IHP 5 May (JDi).

TOWHEES - WEAVERS Chipping Sparrow: CP thru 25 Mar (mob). Vesper Sparrow: Southard’s Pd P 18-25 Mar (fide RP, MM, PMo); CR 26 Apr (ACi); Francis Gabreski Airport, SUFF 12 May – thru (AC, mob), where breeding. Lark Sparrow: Green-wood Cem 23 May (TP). Grasshopper Sparrow: arr EPCAL 2 May (DR); max 5 EPCAL 21 & 28 May (SF, eBird). Nelson’s Sparrow: Marine P, KING 16 May (JM); 2 Plum Beach 21-22 May (DG, TPr). Saltmarsh Sparrow: arr 29 Apr. Seaside Sparrow: arr 21 Apr. Song Sparrow: 284 RMSP 27 Mar (SSM), large number. Lincoln’s Sparrow: Ft. Wadsworth, RICH thru 23 Mar (MSh); arr 6 May. White-crowned Sparrow: max 10 Oregon Rd, Cutchogue, SUFF 1 Mar (JBJ), large number. Dark-eyed Junco: 82 RMSP 27 Mar (SSM); JBWR 19 May (DG), late. Summer Tanager: JBWE 21 Apr (SJ), killed by car; JBWR 3 May (IG); IHP 3 May (JDi); 2 CP 5 May (fide TF); Riverside P 5 May (fide TF); CP 6 May (JDi, et al.); HLSP 7 May (RP); CP 14 May (JDi, et al.); FP 14 May (JL, mob); FP 16 May (SA, et al.); PP 16 May (DHr); PP 17 May (fide PD); Planting Fields Arboretum, NASS 26 May thru (BF, RK), singing m. Scarlet Tanager: arr 21 Apr. WESTERN TANAGER: ad m JBWE 19 Apr (B. Hanley, mob); fem PP 12 May (RJ, SB). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: fem NYBG thru 14 Mar (DB); arr 18 Apr. Blue Grosbeak: 2 fem SPCP 21 Apr (JH); SPCP 22-24 Apr (RA); 2 RMSP 30 Apr – 1 May (AG, RP, mob); 3 imm RMSP 2 May

(DF); fem HSP 2 May (KT); Roosevelt I, NEWY 2 May (fide APe); CLP 3-5 May (HF, MSh); CP 7 May (APe); FP 10 May (DK); JBWR 17 May (CW); PP 21 May (fide PD); 2 Eastport, SUFF 31 May – thru, breeding pr (MsC); appx 15 other reps. Indigo Bunting: arr 21 Apr PAINTED BUNTING: ad m Fire I, SUFF 8 May (fide LO), ph. Dickcissel: FT 9 May (CF). Bobolink: arr 6 May. Rusty Blackbird: max 36 KP 21 Mar (CCo). Orchard Oriole: arr 21 Apr. Baltimore Oriole: 2 South Ozone Park, QUEE thru 28 Mar (AB); arr 12 Apr. Purple Finch: widespread in good numbers; appx 45 reps incl: max 15 Coffin Woods Pres 8 Apr (LL); max 15 CR 3 May (ACi); last 23 May. Com. Redpoll: CP thru 11 Mar; PP thru 27 Mar; max 43 RMSP 7 Mar (A. Perkins); 40 RMSP 8 Mar (N. Rostrup); Southard’s Pd 10 Mar (PMo); 2 FP 21-23 Mar (CF, mob); FP 24-25 Mar (mob); Fresh Kills P, RICH 27 Mar (ACi); 12 Fuch’s Pd 1 Apr (TS); 2 Fuchs Pd 2 Apr (TS), last; appx 25 other reps. Pine Siskin: max 117 East Farm Pres, Smithtown, SUFF 15 Apr (DR); 8-45 Oyster Bay, 30 Mar – 27 Apr (PGi), feeder; appx 35 addtl reps; last 17 May.

EXOTICS EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH: PP 8-11 Mar (mob); FP 5 Apr (SA, CF, MN); KP 9 May (mob).

ADDENDA The following locally notable records, all from Southards Pd P, Babylon, SUFF were not included in the Spring 2014 report: Great Cormorant: 4 May 2014 (SSM et al., ph.), very rare on fresh water. Chuck-will’s-widow: 7 May 2014 (PMo, ph.), migrants very rarely detected. Kentucky Warbler: 4-7 May 2014 (PMo), rare SUFF. Yellow-throated Warbler: 24 May 2014 (PMo).


STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS

Regional rarities appear in BOLD; county names are shortened to their first four letters and appear in UPPER CASE letters; months are shortened to their first three letters. In species accounts: number of individuals omitted implies that one individual was reported; ! – details seen by Regional Editor; ad – adult; Alt – Alternate plumage; Am. – American; arr – arrival or first of season; BBS – Breeding Bird Survey; BOTS – bird of the season; CBC – Christmas Bird Count; CO – confirmed nesting; Com. – Common; E. – Eastern; FL – fledgling; FY – adult feeding young; I – Island; imm – immature; intro – see introduction to report; juv – juvenile; L – Lake; max – maximum; mob – multiple observers; N. – Northern; NYSDEC – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; NWR – National Wildlife Refuge; NYSARC – report to New York State Avian Records Committee; P – park; Pd – Pond; ph – photographed; Pt – Point; Res – Reservoir; Ri – River; SP – State Park; spm – specimen; subad – subadult; T – Town of; thru – throughout period; Twn – township; W. – Western; WMA – Wildlife Management Area; y – young.

REPORTING REGIONS

Regional boundaries coincide with county lines, except at: Region 1-Region 2 in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming Counties: the boundary is NY Route 98 from Pt. Breeze to Batavia; NY Route 63 from Batavia to Pavilion, and NY Route 19

from Pavilion to the Allegany County line. Region 2-Region 3 in Ontario County: the boundary is Mud Creek to NY Route 64, NY Route 64

from Bristol Center to S. Bristol Springs, and Route 21 from S. Bristol Springs to the Yates County line. Region 3-Region 5 in Cayuga County: the boundary is NY Route 31.

REPORTING DEADLINES

Winter Season: December, January, February Deadline is 7 March

Spring Season: March, April, May Deadline is 7 June

Summer Season: June, July, August Deadline is 7 September

Fall Season: September, October, November Deadline is 7 December

272 The Kingbird 2015 Septem

ber; 65 (3)

Editor of The Kingbird

Shaibal S. Mitra—Biology Dept., College of Staten Island

2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314

Editor of New York Birders

Joan Collins—PO Box 556, Long Lake, NY 12847

Appointed Committees

Archives:

Linda Clark Benedict—6701 Miller Rd., Newark, NY 14513

Awards:

William Ostrander—80 Westmont Ave., Elmira, NY 14905

Bylaws:

Berna Lincoln, Chair—P.O. Box 296, Somers, NY 10589

Conservation:

Andrew Mason, Chair—1039 Peck St., Jefferson, NY 12093

Finance:

Michael DeSha, Chair—26 Chestnut St., Franklinville, New York 14737

New York State Avian Records:

Angus Wilson, Chair—4 Washington Sq. Village

#2-I, New York, NY 10012

Send reports to:

Gary Chapin, Secretary for NYSARC

486 High St., Victor, NY 14564; [email protected]

New York State Young Birders Club:

Carena Pooth, Chair—22 Brothers Rd., Poughquag, NY 12570

Publications:

Shaibal S. Mitra—Biology Dept., College of Staten Island

2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314

Publicity:

Timothy Baird, Chair—242 E. State St., Salamanca, NY 14779

Research:

Kevin Griffith, Chair—61 Grandview Ln., Rochester, NY 14612

Waterfowl Count:

William Ostrander—80 Westmont Ave., Elmira, NY 14901

Web Site and Information Services:

Carena Pooth—22 Brothers Rd., Poughquag, NY 12570

Elected Committees

Nominating:

Seth Ausubel (Chair), Joan Collins, Jeremy Kirchman

Auditing:

John Cairns (Chair), Irving Cantor, Peter Capainolo

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The Kingbird Vol. 65 No. 3 – September 2015 · THE KINGBIRD (ISSN 0023-1606), published quarterly...

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